Event: Interview with the legendary funk trombonist FRED WESLEY
Place: Upper Room with Joe Kelley and Gi Dussault radio show
WVOF 88.5 FM in Fairfield, Connecticut
Date/Time: Monday March 30th, 2009 6pm-10pm NYC Time
Internet Stream: www.wvof.org
Studio Line: (203) 254-4111

Listen in as Joe Kelley welcomes Fred Wesley to the Upper Room and WVOF for an exciting interview and preview of tracks from his new record.. Legendary funk trombonist, arranger, composer and author Fred Wesley – who James Brown called on for years to take him to the bridge – will launch two new CD releases with the first U.S. leg of his “Funky President Celebration Tour,” beginning Friday, April 3, 2009, with two nights at Warmdaddy’s in Philadelphia.

“The Funky President Celebration Tour” is named after the Wesley-produced 1974 Brown hit. It began Jan. 30 – a week after the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama – at London’s Jazz Café. Since then, Wesley and his band, “The New JBs,” have moved and grooved packed clubs from Paris to Tel Aviv, mixing jazz with his classic funk hits with James Brown, the JBs and the Horny Horns, such as “Pass the Peas,” “Doing it to Death (Funky Good Time)” and “Four Play.”
The tour’s U.S. premiere coincides with the release by Major Hana Records of “Let it Flow,” a tribute to the Godfather of Soul featuring special guests including Bootsy Collins and Chuck D, and a reissue of Wesley’s 1980 album “House Party,” whose title track is a signature tune and crowd favorite around the world.

Educated funk music fans know that Wesley, as Brown’s music director from the late ’60's through the mid ’70's, produced many of Brown's best records, wrote many of his best songs and horn arrangements, and recorded some of the era’s funkiest hits as leader of Fred Wesley and the JBs.

Wesley left Brown to join forces with George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell and others as the key arranger for Bootsy’s Rubber Band and Parliament Funkedelic, helping take funk to the next level with hits and albums such as “Stretching Out” and “Mothership Connection.”

Beyond funk, Wesley also is an accomplished jazzman whose career spans 50 years and includes a stint with The Count Basie Orchestra. His recordings as a jazz player and composer include “To Someone,” “Amalgamation,” “New Friends” and “Full Circle.”

The entirety of his career, which includes playing with artists ranging from Ike and Tina Turner to Ray Charles to Usher, is a treasure trove of stories, some of which fill the pages of his hilarious, critically acclaimed memoir “Hit Me, Fred: Recollections of a Side Man,” published by Duke University Press in 2002 and available on Amazon.com.

The New JBs, who have been playing together with Wesley for nearly 20 years, are a tight unit of funk musicians with excellent jazz chops. They are Bruce Cox on drums, Dwayne Dolphin on bass, Peter Madsen on keys, Reggie Ward on guitar, Gary Winters on trumpet and Theodore Arthur on saxophone.

In addition to touring with his own band, Wesley also shares his wealth of musical knowledge and experiences through liner notes, articles and interviews, and by leading music clinics with young musicians in settings including classrooms, band rooms and recital halls at colleges, universities, high schools, and other institutions worldwide.

Wesley recently contributed jazz and funk songs to the independent feature film, "Major Hana," due out later this year. In "Major Hana," he also steps out as an actor, providing a poignant portrayal of a London Underground street musician.

April marks a new beginning for increasing U.S. performances by Fred Wesley & The New JBs, whose touring activity has been concentrated in Europe and Japan in recent years. Hot off a European run that included stops in Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, the band is bringing its guaranteed “funky good time” dance party to the Northeast and Midwest in April. Southeast and West Coast dates will roll out in May, with future dates scheduled in Colorado, Europe and Australia.

The new record, “Let It Flow - Fred Wesley's Tribute to James Brown,” will be available March 31, at MajorHana.com. Produced by Wesley and Collins, the CD features Brown remakes including “Out Of Sight,” “Livin' In America,” “I Got The Feelin’,” “Sex Machine,” and the title track, featuring the late, great Bobby Byrd. The first single, “Psycho Path – ‘The Vintage Hollis Mix’,” features Public Enemy’s Chuck D.

In addition to Bootsy and Chuck D, the album features James Brown drummers Jabo Starks and Clyde Stubblefield, and members of the New JBs.

Major Hana Records will also re-release Wesley's infamous 1980 album, "House Party." This album was originally a promo-only item from Curtom Records back in 1980, although the 12-inch of the title track enjoyed wide popularity back then. The LP was released in 1993 on the Back Black label. A fun and funky dance record from beginning to end, the original album is a collector’s item that also features the crowd favorite “Bop to the Boogie” and others with Wesley on lead vocals as well as trombone.

“Let It Flow,” “House Party,” and Wesley's jazz record “To Someone,” all will be available March 31, on CD and MP3's at MajorHana.com.

Listen for the first single of “Let It Flow – Fred Wesley’s Tribute To James Brown”; “Psycho Path – ‘The Vintage Hollis Mix,’” co-written by Wesley and Chuck D.

Fred Wesley & The New JBs "Funky President Celebration Tour"

April 3 Philadelphia, PA Warmdaddy's
April 4 Philadelphia, PA Warmdaddy's
April 5 Floyd, VA Sun Music Hall
April 8 TBA
April 7 Syracuse, NY Wescott Theater
April 8 Hartford, CT The Warehouse
April 9 Somerville, MA Johnny D's
April 10 Portland, ME The Asylum
April 11 New York City, NY Sullivan Hall
April 12 Annapolis, MD Rams Head Tavern
April 13 TBA
April 14 Kent, OH Kent State University
April 15 Chicago, IL The Abbey
April 16 TBA
April 17 Minneapolis, MN B-Side Jazz Fest, Trocadero’s
April 18 TBA