(Detroit - August 26, 2013) Drew Schultz entered the music industry at the age of 19 performing with legendary Motown group the Four Tops, and appearing on stage with countless iconic soul artists including The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves, The Dramatics, The Miracles, The Contours, Harold Melvin's Blue Notes, and more. In 2012 he released his debut album, "Back To Class." The record consists of 16 songs written by Schultz, featuring performances by the Four Tops, Dennis Coffey, James Jamerson Jr, Melvin Davis, Spyder Turner, Pat Lewis, Lenny Pickett, and many more. 50% of the profits go towards the music programs of the Detroit Public School System.
On September 1st, Schultz will continue the project with the release of "Take It Slow," a follow up single featuring Eddie Willis of Motown's studio band, The Funk Brothers.
The Funk Brothers, with Willis as one of multiple guitarists, played the instruments on almost every song of Motown's Detroit era, including iconic hits by Diana Ross & The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and the Four Tops. "I met The Funk Brothers when I was still in high school," Schultz recalls. "Uriel Jones, one of their drummers, was a mentor to me. He really helped me through some times when I felt like giving up on playing, and the music that Uriel and Eddie made was always there. The Funk Brothers are literally responsible for the soundtrack of my life." Schultz' band, The Funk Machine, is the backing group on both the original "Back To Class" album and the upcoming single. Drew and The Funk Machine performed in Detroit in July to showcase the project at Don Was' All Star Review for the Concert of Colors, and last December saw the first donation to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation of $1,000. The project was featured in international press including Modern Drummer Magazine, SoulTracks.com, and Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine, and prompted Susan Whitall of the Detroit News to dub Schultz "Kid Motown."
Drew Schultz can be found at www.DSdrums.com and "Take It Slow" will be available digitally through iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and more on September 1st, 2013.
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