Hailing from Austin, Texas, Mama K & The Shades is a 11-piece band comprised of Kelsey Garcia (vocalist), Willie Barnes (vocalist), Johnny Storbeck (guitar), David Thacker (keyboards), Lee Braverman (bass), Chris Barnes (drums), Wesley Gonzales (percussion), Joseph Morrow (trumpet and flugelhorn), Dustin Hunter (tenor and baritone sax) and Donald McDaniel (trombone). The group formed in the summer of 2014 and brings to the Austin crowd a musical experience that combines funk, soul, R&B, jazz and rock.
On their latest album, Honey Made, the track “Too Wide” will have listeners go on a thrill-seeking, jam-worthy ride. With husky vocals, Garcia sings through hypnotic guitar solos and jolting percussions that give off a jazzy groove. The rocking, groovy sounds also gives off a funky experience.
“Main Squeeze” is the next song that reverberates with a retro vibe. The grainy quality to the recording harkens to some Motown blues that also explicitly elicits some 50s big band references. The snappy, quick music with a fast treading vibe and undulating percussions is powerful and sweeping.
“Good Things” is a jazzy, soulful track that right from the get-go produces a sort of lounge singer effect. The graceful, elegant sound channels some jazzy layers that soulfully energizes the backbeat.
On “The Shades” Barnes takes the lead on vocals. With a R&B funk vibe that is entertaining, the party atmosphere continues on in this track with a fresh style that embraces some buoyant blues. The song is charged with some amped vocals and interchangeably playful melodies and a funky sound.
“Like a Fool” is filled with distorted guitar riffs with still that grainy quality that denotes for most of the track. Barnes vocals buffer some strong reverb from the guitars. A blend of jazzy and bluesy layers, the Motown feel is back and rips through the chorus with sure-fire fury.
It looks like Mama K & The Shades have cornered the market for fun-lovin’ tracks with a powerful collection of musicians to electrify audiences with their blend of eclectic mixes. Honey Made continues to mesmerize listeners with its gigantic sound with the attention grabbing and haunting sax solo in “Midnight Train,” the easy-going, spoken word piece in “Baby Got Away,” the show-stopping Spanish rendition of “Love Machine,” the soulful, funk vibe in “Nnedi’s Song,” and the lengthy but highly hot jam titled “Hot.”
It is hard to contain all the energy and different styles that the members of an 11-piece band can bring forth to the group, but the varied sounds coming from Mama K & The Shades is a cohesive measure of R&B, soul and jazz. These are passionate songs good for the undertaking of a long seasoned music connoisseur. Banking powerful riffs with long stamina guitar solos and some snappy blues with some great jazzy flow, Mama K & The Shades’ Honey Made brings to you a collection of jams that will invigorate the party-goer in you. Be sure you get a taste of this party-going experience live! Mama K & The Shades will be featured prominently at this year’s SXSW Festival. Show details are below:
MAMA K & THE SHADES at Maggie Mae's Rooftop on March 15, 2017 1:00am — 1:50am
MAMA K & THE SHADES at Half Step on March 18, 2017 1:00am — 1:50am