The band specializes in organ based jazz from the 60's from greats such as Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, and Lou Donaldson. Made up of established Bay Area professionals with serious resumes and experience, we are ideally suited for lounges, restaurants, corporate events, weddings, and/or private parties. We principally work as an and organ trio and tenor sax led quartet but we also have a guitarist, percussionist and lead singer if you need it and want both background music and/or a dance party. We will most definitely provide your event/venue with a memorable performance and are easy to work and always on time both physically and musically.
BAND MEMBER BIOS
Keyboardist Bob Crawford finds home in a wide range of different musical styles. He's had experience in everything from jazz to afrobeat, salsa, samba, funk, hip hop, rock, and more. Bob continued to play in various local bands gaining experience, and "learning as he was earning." Then, in 2001 he was offered the keyboard chair in Michael Franti's band Spearhead. With a setup that included a Rhodes electric piano, two keyboards and a computer, Bob logged multiple tours throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe and Japan. Frequently, guest artists would sit in with the band onstage, and Bob found himself performing with a who's who of international stars. The list includes Tre Anastasio, Me'Shell NDegeOcello, Chuck D, Ani DiFranco, Jack Johnson, Robert Randolph, Woody Harrleson, as well as members of Ozomatli, Zap Mama, and Galactic. Now residing in the East Bay, Bob continues to perform and record with a variety of artists, including Fito Reinoso y su Ritmo y Armonia, Jesus Diaz y su QBA, Greg Errico (Sly and the Family Stone), Lee Oskar (War), Lenny Williams (Tower of Power), Pedrito Calvo (Los Van Van) Jimmy Kansau (San Francisco Opera) and many more.
Tenor saxophonist Liam Furey began playing the clarinet at an early age 9 and soon switched to the tenor saxophone. He learned to play through the SF public school system and organized jazz ensembles. Liam composed and arranged a soundtrack for the documentary film Red Poet. The documentary chronicles the life and artwork of San Francisco Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman. Liam also recently released another EP, Liquid Freeway, featuring Jacob Aginsky on the keys, Uriah Duffy on bass, and Damon Taylor on drums.
Drummer Colin Douglas began playing music at the young age of eleven years old. Born into a musical family, he experimented with many different instruments as a child but soon was drawn to drums and percussion. As a student he was exposed to many diverse styles studying everything from classical percussion, to rock, jazz and funk. Douglas eventually attended both the acclaimed Lawrence University Conservatory of Music as well as the Manhattan School of Music. After college he became deeply interested in Afro-Cuban music and after moving to the San Francisco Bay Area began an extensive of Cuban folkloric percussion with esteemed instructor Michael Spiro, as well as many other master Cuban teachers. As a professional drumset artist and percussionist Colin has performed and recorded with an extensive list of diverse artists such as the Wayne Wallace Quintet, Jesus Diaz y su QBA, Chuchito Valdez, Donna Summer, Slash, Enrique Bunbury, Eddie Palmieri, and many others.
Guitarist Dave Shul is a heavy hitting guitar player who delivers the goods in various genres, primarily in blues rooted and Latin Rock settings. He has been involved with various Bay Area projects, most notably Michael Franti & Spearhead, with whom he spent over a dozen years with as lead guitarist, recording and touring the world, playing on some of the greatest of stages including Glastonbury Festival in England which features prominent leading acts from around the globe. Dave continues to perform with many premiere Bay Area bands to share his seasoned & ferocious chops, musical sensibility and melodic sincerity.
Bassist Matthew Furey was born and raised in San Francisco. He began tuning in attentively to jazz, soul, and funk from the 60's and 70's and never stopped listening. Several years later he became deeply immersed in Turkish and Arabic music, playing and performing for some years intensely on the Oud, an 11 stringed stunningly potent instrument both in it's tonal and rhythmic qualities. He went to music camps in Mendocino Camp including Lark Camp and Middle East Camp and decided to start his own camp, Kosmos Camp. He returned to his original instrument, bass, with a serious passion. He's now started his own band, The Kosmos Band, fulfilling a life long dream to focus on performing and recording jazz blues and funk rooted music…