Friday, March 11, 2011

November 7th: The City Champs from Memphis!

Tune into your source for all things soundtrack, Morricone Youth, this Sunday afternoon, November 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. ET, when your host Devon E. Levins will be joined by Memphis soul/jazz organ trio The City Champs in support of The Set-Up, the follow up to their acclaimed debut, The Safecracker.  The Set-Up finds the group stretching out into 60’s film score influences, Latin jazz and psychedelia from their established Booker T. and the MGs meets Blue Note/Prestige Records sound.  The City Champs are comprised of three of Memphis’ top musicians: Guitarist Joe Restivo, organist Al Gamble and drummer George Sluppick whose resumes include work with Rufus Thomas, Alex Chilton, JJ Grey and MOFRO, William Bell, Syl Johnson and the Memphis Horns.

Augmenting The City Champs trio sound on The Set-Up is renowned Motown Funk Brother Jack Ashford on tambourine (soundtrack composer to the classic blaxploitation film Blackjack and featured in the award winning documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown), The Bo-Keys horn men (Marc Franklin, Jim Spake and Kirk Smothers), Latin percussionist Felix Hernandez and Bo-Keys bassist and The Set-Up’s producer, Scott Bomar, who most recently produced Cyndi Laupers’ “Memphis Blues.”  The overall result encapsulates the Champs sound: Think The Meters and Booker T. recording a Seijun Suzuki yakuza score on a session at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio for Blue Note. The Champs even take on RJD2’s track "A Beautiful Mine" (well known as the theme to Mad Men).  The group has had their music prominently featured in the Emmy Award winning documentary I Am a Man: From Memphis a Lesson in Life, the MTV series, $5 Cover and The Poor and The Hungry, the first film of Craig Brewer (Hustle N Flow, Black Snake Moan, Footloose (huh?)).

Catch The City Champs later Sunday night around 10 p.m. at Rose in Williamsburg as part of the Brooklyn Guitar Festival.




(Originally posted on EVR blog 11/5/10 3:35 AM ET)

Archived (11/7/10):
http://www.eastvillageradio.com/shows/nowplaying.aspx?contentid=1284&showid=56996

Playlist:
http://www.eastvillageradio.com/shows/playlists.aspx?contentid=1284&showid=56996&list=22905

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