The Boston Horns is led by Garret Savluk (trumpet) and Henley Douglas Jr. (sax), former front men of the Heavy Metal Horns. Over the course of 20 years, they've collaborated and toured with a wide range of artists including Tower of Power, Johnny A., Shawn Mullins, Laverne Baker, Susan Tedeschi, James Montgomery, Extreme, and the Del Fuegos, to name a few. Their compelling mix of funk, jazz and soul has kept them busy performing in clubs and festivals in New England, New York, Montreal, San Jose, New Orleans and as far away as Tokyo.
The Boston Horns' most recent album, "Shibuya Gumbo," is a reference to their popularity in Japan but also touches on their New Orleans-style funk and soul sound. Douglas explains, "Shibuya City was the first city we played in Japan, so the album title is a nod to that experience. There's a photo of the Shibuya fans on the album cover. You can see that it was a sold out show. That's such an incredible thing to happen to any band playing in a new country for the first time." And as for the ‘gumbo,' Douglas says it "refers to the Traditional New Orleans dish. It's a mix of a lot of different ingredients that come together to create one fantastic flavor. The Boston Horns music is made the same way. It's a combination of many different styles of music — jazz, blues, soul and rock — and we mix it up with instrumentals and vocals. Our music has its own unique flavor," says Douglas.
Guest musicians on the new album are long-time friends and collaborators Barrence Whitfield and Sam Kininger. Whitfield is a legend in the Boston area, and has toured internationally with acts like Tina Turner, Bo Diddley, Robert Cray and many more. Sam Kininger is a well-known sax player who has played with funk and soul bands Lettuce, the Brotherhood of Groove and the internationally renowned Soulive. He currently fronts the Sam Kininger Band.
Says Savluk, "This is the album we've always wanted to make. Our favorite new originals mixed in with a few covers to feature Barrence's amazing vocals and the funky talents of Sam Kininger on alto. I dare you not to groove!"
DISCOGRAPHY
Studio Albums
Shibuya Gumbo - 2007
A Thousand Souls - 2004
You've Got to Find Your Own Groove - 2004
Boogie Stop Shuffle - 2003
East Coast Funk - 2001
It's In Your Face - 1999
Released in Japan by P-Vine Records
Live from Tokyo - 2006
Bring on the Funk - 2006
Live from Boston - 2006
Live Albums
Live 2006 · Live 2004 · Live 2003
Live with Melvin Sparks 2002 · Live 2000
BUZZ ABOUT THE BOSTON HORNS
"Trumpeter Garret Savluk and saxophonist Henley Douglas Jr. ...front a band that rides in the pocket alongside such new-jack acid-jazzers as Karl Denson, Galactic and their brassy brethren. But the roots of the Boston Horns go back to the soul-jazz of the late '60s and the proto-funk of the Crusaders, Tower of Power and Melvin Sparks, whose exquisitely greasy lines grace some of `East Coast Funk.'" - Boston Herald
"...Boston Horns lay down a classic sound that is the pillar of all things good and groovy in today's onslaught of fusion." - Jambase
"From jazz to funk and well beyond, the Boston Horns have it goin' on!" - All About Jazz
"The Boston Horns... have been burning up stages with high-energy, hard-grooving funk since 1999. Whitfield is a rock and soul legend. Together, they should be an unstoppable force." - North Shore Sunday
