(September 3, 2017) At this weekend’s Detroit Jazz Fest, the world’s largest free jazz festival, Friday night was a banner night on the main stage, with legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter leading the first set, and a stirring headlining spot later that night by Herbie Hancock. But a shock came during the half hour in between the two legends, as most of the crowd heard, for the first time, Cali-based Miles Mosley and West Coast Get Down. The biggest surprise was that what was, for many, supposed to be a break between major acts, turned out to be a hot, funk-filled set that had folks standing and dancing. Sounding like a combination of Tower of Power and Soulive, the band simply killed it, a feat they would repeat the following night in a longer set.
(September 3, 2017) At this weekend’s Detroit Jazz Fest, the world’s largest free jazz festival, Friday night was a banner night on the main stage, with legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter leading the first set, and a stirring headlining spot later that night by Herbie Hancock. But a shock came during the half hour in between the two legends, as most of the crowd heard, for the first time, Cali-based Miles Mosley and West Coast Get Down. The biggest surprise was that what was, for many, supposed to be a break between major acts, turned out to be a hot, funk-filled set that had folks standing and dancing. Sounding like a combination of Tower of Power and Soulive, the band simply killed it, a feat they would repeat the following night in a longer set.
Though best known on the Left Coast, Mosley, who sang and played upright bass (accompanied by drums, keyboards, trumpet and saxophone) has been a mainstay in the music world for over a decade, having worked with a who’s who of major soul music stars, from India.Arie to Common. And the loose collective West Coast Get Down is a supportive group of great players who often perform together and also help each other on their respective solo projects.
Mosley recently released his fourth solo album, Uprising, and it is a great blend of rock, funk and R&B. The album leads off with the upbeat, rock infused “Young Lion,” our latest SoulTracks First Listen. Check it out below and welcome Miles Mosley to SoulTracks!
By Chris Rizik
Miles Mosley – “Young Lion”