The nine piece Funky Velvet played a set of tunes by Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder and some soul classics when they appeared at Lichfield’s Blues and Jazz Festival.
With a line up consisting of trombones, trumpet, saxophone, guitar, vocals, keyboards, drums and bass their music blended straight forward jazz funkwith the more mainstream sounds of soul and pop.
With vocalist and keyboard Nick Allan, guitarist Joe Gagan, drummer Scarlet Churchill and bassist Sophia Brennan providing the musical spine, the brass section of trombone players Stu Tree and Alex Rowbottom alongside saxophonist Georgia Burgess played the tight unison parts that made the Tower of Power songs so distinctive.
We heard such funk songs as Back in the Day, Digging on James Brown, and the quieter ballad Believe It, while Stevie Wonder’s hits Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Part Time Lover and Superstition provided the funk.
The second set featured some pop classics, with the vocal interplay of Bill Withers’ Lovely Day being a particularly well-delivered performance.
On what proved to be one of the hottest days of the year so far, Funky Velvet lifted the musical temperature a bit higher.