WinterJam100: Sunday Soul - Martha Redbone & The Sojouners

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Sunday, January 18th, 2015
Doors at 7:30pm, Show at 8:00pm

Nominated for four Native American Music Awards, singer/songwriter Martha Redbone has been described by Billboard Magazine’s Larry Flick as “a true original; the kind of artist who sets trends, as opposed to following them”.

She grew up in New York and Kentucky. An unlikely combination that you can hear in her flow: the staccato melodies of the city, mixed with the easy, wide-open praise song of a country choir. Martha Redbone was mentored by legendary musician, Walter ‘Junie’ Morrison, who was an original member of the Ohio Players and later, Parliament Funkadelic. Now a kid sister to the funk, she even sang backup vocals on the Mothership reunion album with George Clinton.

Her debut CD “Home of the Brave” is summed up by Billboard in one word… “stunning”. Her music is a diagram of American dream; infused with folksy guitar strum, Hendrix swagger and earthy, Stevie Wonder-esque funk. It.sounds like music that was cooked up at a dinner party where the guests included Sly Stone and Prince, Minnie Riperton and Al Green. This album doesn’t mince words or pull punches, it’s everything — angry, painful, funny, smart, romantic, playful — that’s in Martha’s heart. Her lyrics, her beats, the soulful, sassy timber of her voice… are intimate treasures to unfold.

Every once in a while, you meet a woman of inimitable style. The kind of woman for whom clothes are less a statement than an artist’s palette. The kind of woman whose best accessory is her smile. Martha Redbone is that kind of woman.

Every once in a while, you hear a voice you can’t forget. It’s the angel whispering in your ear at the moment when you are most discouraged. It’s the bird’s song that flits by you, the moment when you realize that despite all your doubts and cynicism, you’ve once again fallen in love. It’s the throaty, Bacall-like purr that is telling a very dirty, albeit very clever, joke next to you in your favorite bar. Martha Redbone has that kind of a voice.

Martha Redbone grew up in New York and Kentucky. An unlikely combination that you can hear in her flow: the staccato melodies of the city, mixed with the easy, wide-open praise song of a country choir. A body in motion tends to stay in motion and it’s been nonstop ever since. Martha Redbone was mentored by legendary musician, Walter ‘Junie’ Morrison, who was an original member of the Ohio Players and later, Parliament Funkadelic. Now a sister to the funk, she sang background vocals on the Mothership reunion album with George Clinton. In the immortal words of Tribe Called Quest, can Martha Redbone kick it? Yes, she can!!

They rocked WinterBites last January with Jim Byrnes and are easily the West Coast’s fave gospel and soul group… back again for a Sunday encore performance are the Sojourners!

When Canadian blues icon Jim Byrnes called Vancouver based gospel singer Marcus Mosely on the phone a few years ago to ask if he could round up a few friends to record some back up vocals for a new album, no one could have guessed what would happen next.

From the moment Mosely and his pals stepped up to the microphone and began singing, they realized that they had something very special going on. When Byrnes dubbed the trio The Sojourners the name stuck and – as they say – the rest is history.

Formative years spent singing in the churches of Marcus Mosely, Will Sanders and Khari McClelland, (from Ralls, Texas, Alexandria, Louisiana and Detroit, Michigan respectively) give The Sojourners’ sound an authentic edge that only comes with experience. This is real gospel – blessed with a soul that can’t be faked.

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Ages 19 & over
Tickets: $30