Photo by Todd V. Wolfson
Coming this fall, the LONG awaited debut album from latin funk collective Brownout. The album is entitled “Homenaje”, meaning “Homage” and will be released internationally on the UK’s Freestyle Records. It will no doubt make international noise as the real deal latin funk, 2 1/2 years in the, making. , In rare off time from their main project Grupo Fantasma, the band hit analog tape machines, home studios and laptops to create their full length introduction to the world, chock full of latin, afro, funk and psychedelic sounds that will challenge you to sit still without snapping your neck. ¡Con el Brownout no se juega!, Fantasma has long been revered as one of Austin's best bands, their antecedent, Brownout, is no slouch when it comes to flattening audiences with Latin grooves. With a lineup that excludes vocalist/timbales player Jose Galeano and adds a couple of horns, Brownout is just getting back its roots, according to guitarist Adrian Quesada., "Brownout came before Grupo," he explains. "We used to play Latin funk. It started with a band called the Blimp that moved here from Laredo. They joined with my band that had horns. It eventually became Grupo Fantasma, but one day it dawned on us that we don't play funk anymore. So we started an offshoot just for fun.", Mostly instrumental, Brownout takes its cues from James Brown's J.B.'s and San Francisco's Malo, the Seventies act fronted by Carlos Santana's brother Jorge. Quesada also mentions bands that recorded for the famed Fania label and Tejano acts from that decade as well. "Bands like Little Joe would always include one funk song on their albums," he notes., Some of the Brownout groove has crept into the Grupo sound, and the Prince connection has led to some surprises. "I actually got to hang with Maceo Parker a while back, at the Prince rehearsals in Los Angeles. He asked our trombone player to join his band, and he gave us his blessing."
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Adrian Quesada-guitar
Greg Gonzalez-bass
Beto Martinez-guitar
Sweet Lou-congas
Johnny Lopez-drums
Gilbert Elorreaga-trumpet
Josh Levy-saxophones
Leo Gauna-trombone
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