What's so good about Lettuce?

When I took acting classes in high school (stay with me - I'll make it all connect), our teacher taught us that there is acting, and there is acting at something. If someone is truly acting, the audience believes the actor is actually another character. If someone is acting at something, the audience can tell that they're watching an actor onstage pretending to be someone else. Similarly, in music, there's a big difference between bands which pretend to play in a certain style and bands who know a certain style inside and out.

Lettuce is the real deal. Their brand of 60's and 70's funk and soul is almost indistinguishable from the music which made funk and soul so popular when it took the world by storm 50 years ago. They groove, they're tight, they jam, their horns are killer…with Lettuce there is no pretence, no following fads - just 100% pure funky goodness.

They played The Phoenix in February and, not having seen them live, I was sure to be in the audience. I was impressed by their playing, certainly; but I was also amazed by the breadth of the audience: people of all ages, colours, shapes…there is something about funk and soul music which resonates with music aficionados and casual listeners alike. Whether they were playing a tune with tight horn lines or stretching out, Lettuce kept the audience enthralled. Here's a sample:

That…just…feels…so…good.

According to their bio, on their new album Fly, "the pocket is deeper than ever." "The pocket" is one of those undefinable things (like "swing") - I'm not sure how to describe it, but I do know that without "the pocket", the music just doesn't quite sit as well. In my recent Artistic Director's Guide to Jazz - Live! session with Larnell Lewis, he described it this way: like with a pair of jeans, the pocket holds things. The deeper the pocket, the more you can hold. When it comes to Lettuce, having a deep pocket means all the various parts - the horn lines, the grooves, the feel - can all be held in one place. Of course, it helps to have a guy like Adam Deitch on the drums, laying it down:

Lettuce is currently on the road in support of their new album Fly. Like many bands with new albums, they've created a teaser trailer. But unlike most other bands, the trailer has no words - not even any on-screen text. They let the music speak for itself. Which, to me, speaks volumes:

Lettuce performs on a double-bill with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on Wednesday June 25, 8 pm on the Toronto Star Stage at Nathan Phillips Square. Buy tickets now or, for more information, visit the concert page.

It's gonna be groovy...

Josh