Comprised of sidemen from some of the most respected acts in the music industry including Beyoncé, Erykah Badu, Chrisette Michelle, Talib Kweli, P. Diddy, and The Polyphonic Spree to name a few, The Funky Knuckles bring the talent-soaked soul & jazz sound of Dallas, TX to the Rubber City – featuring support from Akron’s own, Acid Cats!

The inevitable result of a talent-soaked soul and jazz community, The Funky Knuckles are taking the sound of Dallas to an entirely different level. They have been together six years and have held a weekly residency since the beginning. The band is comprised of sidemen from some of the most respected acts in the music industry (Beyonce, Erykah Badu, Chrisette Michelle, Talib Kweli, P. Diddy, The Polyphonic Spree, etc.), yet possesses a sound distinctly separate from any of their individual projects.
The Funky Knuckles move together musically as a school of fish, never complacent and always stretching the boundaries of improvisation and composition. Whether performing original music or standards, they draw from each member’s musical experiences to create their unique genre-bending sound. After the release of their debut album on GroundUP Music, “As of Lately,” The Knuckles added a full-time horn section and began touring nationally.

Their latest album, “Meta-Musica” (also on GroundUP), climbed the iTunes Jazz Charts to become the #1 selling record in the United States the day it was released.

Featuring Wes Stephenson (bass), Cedric Moore (drums), Caleb McCampbell (keys), Phill Aelony (guitar), Ben Bohorquez (saxophone), Evan Weiss (trumpet), Frank Moka (percussion).

We will kick off this special Monday night funk throwdown with Akron’s own, Acid Cats, at 8PM – get your tickets today to hear these two awesome bands on the same night at BLU Jazz+!

ABOUT ACID CATS

Acid Cats are an Akron-based quintet comprised of University of Akron and Tri-C students (past and present), and have been playing the Northeast Ohio area live music circuit as a group for the past year.

Heavily influenced by The Brecker Brothers, Mahivishnu Orchestra, Donny Hathaway, D’angelo, and Snarky Puppy, Acid Cats create a soulful fusion of sounds that is deeply rooted in the groove. They are currently in the process of recording their second album “All in a Day’s Work”, which is set to release this spring.

Come join them for a night of original music fused with soulful classics that you’re bound to recognize! Featuring Justin Tibbs (tenor sax), Michael Vincent (guitar), Zachary Nagi-Schehl (bass), Cameron Bickley (drums).