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Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Freekbass is a technical funk band that is taking the country by surprise and by storm. The band is centered around Freekbass himself, who plays some of the most amazing bass you'll ever hear, and also supplies vocals. The rest of the band is fleshed out with drums, guitar, keys, horns, and backing vocals.
Previously a Midwest band, Freekbass is ready to extend its tour base from Chicago to the Northeast. They just finished a quick run through Pennsylvania and New York, including a sold out Halloween show at the haunted Beardslee Castle. In December they'll be returning to the Northeast for a show at the Java Barn in Canton, NY and a private high school show in New Jersey.
Understand this is no ordinary college funk band. These guys have been hand picked by funk's greatest forefather, Bootsy Collins, to bring the funk to the new millennium. Collins both manages the band and has executive producer credits on the band's latest release The Air is Fresher Underground. The album has gained the band serious attention, and has even caught the eye of the tastemakers at the Grammys, who are considering the album for an R&B Grammy nomination.
But there's more to Freekbass than just funk and rhythm and blues. They certainly do bring the hand waving, P-Funking, good time party vibe to their shows, but like several other band leading bass players (Les Claypool, Victor Wooten, or Oteil Burbridge come to mind), people are coming to check out Freekbass' unique approach and his technical mastery of the instrument.
Freekbass has recently earned several accolades for his prowess on the low end. Kustom amplifiers out of Cincinnati have honored him with the release of a Freekbass signature amp head. D'Addario bass strings, who sponsor the band, have included their song "Minute to Forever" on the music sampler they're putting into their bass string packages this season. Freekbass joins some heavyweights on the bass compilation including Michael Manring, Steve Bailey, Jimmy Haslip, and the aforementioned Burbridge.
These honors have led the band to interesting appearances, including last month's Bass Player Live Music conference in New York City, sponsored by Bass Player magazine to celebrate their 15th anniversary. Freekbass went from there to headlining the Detroit Bass festival where he was joined by the likes of Matthew Garrison, Norm Stockton, and others for a sold out show in the Motor City. So while there seems to be a band in every town that brings the funk to the college scene, Freekbass is really riding a wave of technical wizardry to bring the funk--and bass playing itself--into the future.
Fore more information on Freekbass be sure to visit his web site Freekbass.com.
You can catch Freekbass live at upcoming shows, including:
11.12 | Peabody's | Cleveland, OH (18 & up)
11.13 | Peach's | Yellow Springs, OH
11.19 | Upfront & Co. | Marquette, MI
11.20 | Upfront & Co. | Marquette, MI
11.24 | Billy's | Grand Rapids, MI
11.26 | Little Brother's | Columbus, OH
12.03 | Java Barn | Canton, NY
JamBase | Ohio
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