Ain't We Funkin' Now

Ryan Cross' Soul Funk.
Soul, acid jazz, secular blues, hard bop and fusion. All live, all musicians unrehersed jamming into another fabulous Tuesday night heading into Wednesday morning.

All that and DJ Vicious Lee on the 1s and 2s.




Very excited to see Kamasi Washington sitting in on sax,
Cedric Anderson on drums and the return of guitarist Matt Roberts.

SoulFunk. Every Tuesday night.










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4th Ave,Santa Monica,United States

Which Way Is Up? : SoulFunk 09

Ryan Cross, Brandon Coleman and Gene Coye host the hottest jam on the West side aka SoulFunk. It's always different, and it's always funky. This past session included guest players Jes Selane on guitar, Maiya Sykes on vocals, Urie Norris on keys and Frank Abraham on bass.

Soul Funk! : The Return Of Mayia Sykes

My night started off with Coq Au Vin. Two days before Thanksgiving and she wanted to prepare Coq Au Vin. And who can say no to Coq Au Vin? Seriously.

Good food is a ripe aphrodisiac for haughty musical exploration, and as luck would have it, my favorite eclectrician, Ryan Cross, was holding court with his cast of players including Zane Musa, James Allen, Robert Miller and Mr Brandon Coleman.

Pictured top: Tom McNalley accompanies featured vocalist Mayia Sykes in what was one of the best musical performances I have seen in a while, at Harvelle's or anywhere. Detroit native Tom is an accomplished guitarist with a passion for Haitian music and

culture. Mayia Sykes continues to surprise and delight audiences around the world, and to experience her in an intimate setting like Harvelle's is beautiful and rapturous.

Soulfunk is every Tuesday night.

Soul Funk! : Amber Ojeda

From Amber Ojeda's Facebook page:::

Alright everyone! I am getting out of my comfort zone and mixing it up! Expect some funk expect some silliness. If you have not heard Soul Funk hold it down and break it off a little something saucy for ya, you are in for a treat!!!! I am delighted to be sharing the night with such fine ass musicians.

So come one, come all, and spend a little time... won't ya?

Soulfunk : Tuesday Night Vocalese

SoulFunk! - Ryan Cross, Gene Coye and Brandon Coleman. Three incredible musicians who mix it up - jazz, soul, funk, r&b... There's always top-notch surprise guests and a plethora of vocal and instrumental talent.

Tonight's featured performers : Octavius Terry and Karma.

Previous sessions have included (top to bottom) Judith Hill, Nikki Grier, Chris Pierce and Lisa Foreman .

Soul Funk : Welcome to Tuesday

Ryan Cross and Soulfunk are hardly strangers around these parts. The West side home to L.A.'s coolest jazz cat, it is with major enthusiasm and elation that brings this one all home. Let's not forget Mr.'s Coye and Coleman (drums, keys respectively) and the plethora of talent available to Mr. Cross.

Tonight's guests include Octavius Terry, DJ Vicious Lee and Karma.

Maiya Sykes : Soul Funk-ateer

The effervescent vocalist with the multi-octave range and soul to spare... yes, *that* Maiya Sykes. Maiya has been here and wowed the crowd with her performance as part of Ryan Cross' Soul Funk Tuesday night residency and I'm sure is up to the task of eliciting a grand reaction again.

See what's up with these purveyors of funk, jazz, latin and r&b - Brandon Coleman (keys, vox) and Gene Coye (drums)- with Ryan Cross holding the whole thing down on the stand-up bass. In addition to Ms. Sykes, there is never a shortage of some of the brightest and best players who stop by and join in. It's always a memorable evening.

Soul Funk : California Dreamin'

A night of soul and funk and jazz; any major dude will tell you it's the spot on a Southern California Tuesday night. Ignore the warm smell of colitas rising up through the air, and cruise down a balmy Santa Ana wind-fueled P.C.H. with the top down towards the beach. Right near the "World Famous" Santa Monica Pier, a stones throw from Venice Beach and at least 15 degrees cooler than the rest of Los Angeles, Harvelle's is the place to be.

Brandon Coleman & Gene Coye

I really haven't given enough credit for last night's Soul Funk! performance to Brandon Coleman and Gene Coye. These two guys - these two gentlemen - kept it going all night long. Brandon and Gene both play many places around the world and play all the time, but there's nothing like seeing them in the anything-can-happen arena of Soul Funk! at Harvelle's (every Tuesday).

The Esperanza Spalding video below starts with an incredible solo by Brandon (pictured left in white) - one of many played throughout the night!! Also in the video - behind Esperanza - is Gene - seriously holding it down.

Esperanza Spalding : Let's Fall In Love

The incredible Esperanza Spalding brought her bad-self to Harvelle's and excited the place with her artisanal approach to performing. Unlike any other, Esperanza sings like a bird and plays bass like no one I've ever seen (Mingus, maybe?). She's busy and melodic and truly sounds like she's trying to get into your heart and soul. Everyone fell in love with Ms. Spalding! Check her out - you might fall in love too!

This video doesn't quite capture how electric she truly is, but you'll enjoy it anyway.

Tuesday Night's Soul Funk : Too Much!!!

Too much fun! Too many good cocktails, too many amazing musicians, too much!!!

That describes last night.

Soul Funk, Ryan Cross' Tuesday night residency always gets me out of the house, and puts me in a good mood. Brandon Coleman (keys) and Gene Coye (drums) set it off with Ryan on the bass, jamming deep grooves and tearing it up for the folk who got their early.

The evening unfolded as the stage became a blur of players, singers and musicians sharing their amazing talents with the very entertained crowd. The photos hardly do the night justice, as it's high auditory component was the key!! Esperanza Spalding, Nayana Holley, Kiki, Jacob Lutrell, Todd Washington, Crystal Star Knighton, Wildflower and Kamasi Washington (and many others!) provided an incredible night of music.

Thanks for bringing it Ryan!! And special thanks to Mika and Jessica - Harvelle's staff members - for making it a very cool Tuesday night.

Esperanza Spalding

Crystal Star Knighton

Jacob Lutrell on vocals and keys

Kiki, Nayanna and Crystal Star Knighton

Esperanza

Kiki

Brandon Coleman

Alfredo Rivera with Esperanza

Kiki!!!

Crystal Star Knighton

Todd Washington

Nayanna Holley

Wildflower

Didn't catch this guy's name,

but he pounded the skins into utter submission!

Soul Funk Tuesday : Ryan Cross & Friends!

Ryan Cross has a LOT of friends. And a lot of friends of friends. And they all tend to gather at Harvelle's on Tuesday nights. The word is out and every week it seems, some of the best and the brightest have been showing their stuff off to an eager audience. (l—r: James Allen (percussion), Gene Coye (drums), Nichelle Monroe (vocals), Brandon Coleman (keys), Todd Washington(guitar).

Soul Funk Tuesday : Full Of Grace

Chase all your blues away.

The Soul Funk night at Harvelle's is every Tuesday.

Ryan Cross brings his big show through and fills the room with beautiful music, dope beats and sexy women. The atmosphere is upbeat - and that's the way it swings at this impromptu jam session.

This past Tuesday, it was ALL funk ALL jazz ALL soul ALL night long! Mr. Cross was nowhere in the place, but Brandon Coleman and Gene Coye were there to bring it! And it was brought! The MC (and on bass) was Ian Martin.

Add to the mix a plethora of talented guests stopping by and jamming! Among them, guitarist/vocalist Todd Washington, House Of Vibe/Toledo Show drummer Pete Antunes, an awesome singer/drummer known as Kiki, Harvelle's fave - vocalist Nichelle Monroe, James Allen who also took a turn on the drums, a horn player named José kicked some serious (br)ass, as did Kamasi Washington - also on sax. There were quite a few others, who's names I didn't catch. 

It was an incredible night of beautiful people and beautiful music. Ryan's gonna kick himself for missing it!

Nichelle Monroe center stage with sax slingers Kamasi and Joe 

and the back of Todd Washington

Nichelle captures the moment digitally

The brass - Kamasi Washington on the far right

Pete Antunes plays mad crazy drums

Todd 'T-Maxx' Washington

Kiki on the mic

The one and only Brandon Coleman

Gene Coye, Ian Martin and Brandon Coleman

The captivating Nichelle Monroe

Kiki on the drums

Soul Funk : Hot Like Summer

Last week's Soul Funk session was a mind blowing combo of old school meets new school, as C.J. Eammons took the stage and captivated right from the start. C.J. (top photo))is a one-of-a-kind vocalist with a multi-octave range. He can sing any style with heavy soul and deep passion. Joined - at one point - by the delightful diva Kim Yarbrough - it was truly happenin' !

The night's second set featured Wally Ali (playing left-handed in the photo above)and Todd Washington (on the right) on guitars, often playing off each other, as they and a variety of back line changes created an electric party that those in attendance will not soon forget.

See what maestro Ryan Cross has in store tonight. Scheduled to perform: one of the top piano players around, Ruslan Sirota who plays with Stanley Clarke, singers LaRae and Robyn Jackson and - of course Robert Miller will be laying down the groove.

Soul Funkin' : The Night In Pix

The Beautiful and talented Nahisha Pettit

Reign Morton & Niambi Sims with Nahisha 

Niambi, Ryan Cross, Nahisha, Dennis Hamm

The trio - Robert Miller, Ryan Cross, Dennis Hamm

Jimmy Reed on sax

DJ Chris Brazil

Robert Miller

Dennis Hamm

Ryan Cross

Brandon Coleman

This past Tuesday's Soul Funk session, Ryan Cross introduced the audience to Nahisha Pettit, a soulful singer with amazing vocals and beauty to spare. Dressed in a sexy tinseltown blue dress she led the crowd through a warm set of songs incorporating Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" which filled the dance floor and put everyone in an amazing mood.

Backed by Robert Miller on drums, Dennis Hamm on keys and supported by back-up singers Niambi Sims and Reign Morton, Nahisha rocked Harvelle's and made Soul Funk a night to remember. Later on, keyboardist Brandon Coleman dropped some beautiful science on an extended version of MJ's "Human Nature" with Jimmy Reed on tenor saxophone, who made the crowd swoon with his beautiful melodic playing.

This Saturday, a special edition of Ryan Cross' Soul Funk will be gracing the stage of Harvelle's. If you're in Santa Monica and celebrating the 4th, stop by and get soul funked.