Cast
Fred Wesley — Bandleader, trombonist, singer
Phillip Whack — Saxophonist, Vocalist, singer
Gary Winters — Trumpeter
Reggie Ward — Electric guitar, Vocalist
Peter Madsen — Electric keyboard
Dwayne Dolphin — Bass guitarist
Bruce Cox — Drummer
Program notes
A major figure of Soul and Funk, American trombonist, singer, arranger, and composer Fred Wesley is one of the architects of the “James Brown sound”, which he developed in the 1960s alongside saxophonists Maceo Parker and Pee Wee Ellis. As part of their “JBs” band, these three wonderful musicians formed one of the most extraordinary Funk brass sections of all times.
During this concert on the stage of the Jazz à Vienne festival, Fred Wesley and “The New JBs” bring the composer’s works to life with overwhelming energy, as well as George Clinton and James Brown songs on which he collaborated. With For The Elders, we also hear a sound close to that of the “Jazz Messengers”, a testimony to the artist’s will to bring Funk and Jazz closer together.