Maceo Musiciology Webcast #35
Mace2theO & Purpleblues
Mace2theO & Purpleblues
"The Funk of Jon Cleary"
Mace2theO and Purpleblues are proud to feature the funky grooves of Jon Cleary - as PB says, " a man whose music deserves a broader platform"
Jon Cleary is a funk and R&B musician born in Kent, England and bred in New Orleans. Cleary is a triple threat, combining soulful vocals, masterful piano skills, and a knack for composing infectious grooves with melodic hooks and sharp lyrics. Originally a guitarist, he balances a career performing on solo piano, with noted funk band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, and as a notorious hired gun with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and John Scofield.
After starting out as a sideman, Cleary began writing his own material and formed his own band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen with Cleary on keyboard and vocals; Derwin"Big D" Perkins on guitar; Cornell C. Williams on bass and backup vocals; and Eddie Christmas on drums. All of the band members, except for Cleary, were born in New Orleans.
Rolling Stone wrote: "Cleary can be an absolute monster on his own, but Cleary’s full combo R&B is as broad, deep and roiling as the Mississippi river, the combined swinging product of local keyboard tradition, Cleary’s vocal-songwriting flair for moody Seventies soul and the spunky-Meters roll of his Gentlemen."
(wiki/misc blog)
Listen to later - Download here
Here's a clip of Jon and the AMG performing "Mo' Hippa"
Many thanks to Sal over at Burning Wood for originally turning me on to Jon back in the day.
"Everything we do is gonn' be funky"!
