Press release by Légère Recordings"

"The New Mastersounds rank among the most preeminent modern soul and funk bands of their time. Having started out in Leeds, UK, the quartet tour the globe regularly, bringing their hard-charging, delectably greasy jams to all corners of the globe, to feed a hungry fan base that stretches from New York City to Tokyo, San Francisco to Amsterdam and all points in between. In 2015, they return with their tenth studio album “Made For Pleasure”, their most sprawling and ambitious record to date.

The band’s core four—guitarist Eddie Roberts, drummer Simon Allen, bassist Pete Shand and organist Joe Tatton—are joined on the 11-track effort by guests including super fabulous soul chanteuse Charly Lowry, revered percussionist/vibraphonist Mike Dillon and the North Cali-based West Coast Horns, featuring tenor saxophonist Joe Cohen and trumpeter Mike Olmos.

Recorded in New Orleans, The New Mastersounds high-step through the humidity and heat leaving no soul or funk touchstone unturned. Both the title track and “High & Wide” are drenched in The-Meters-meet-Lee-Dorsey Big Easy funk, while tracks like “Enough Is Enough,” “Joy” and “Just Gotta Run” are firmly rooted in classic soul sister rhythm & blues tradition; think Tina Turner, Ann Peebles, Bettye LaVette. Super-charged by Eddie Roberts’ stinging guitar leads, “Cigar Time” and “Sitting On My Knees” take a decidedly soul-jazz turn, diving headlong into Grant Green grit and groove.

Capping off “Made For Pleasure” and further validating its title is a dubbed out reinvention of Iggy Azalea’s smash hit “Fancy” that cleverly turns the pop artist’s ode to materialism into a 21st century stoner anthem with the repurposed refrain, “I’m so irie.”



The New Mastersounds know what feels good and deliver it in spades on their latest long player, and rightfully so, as it was after-all...Made For Pleasure."

Click the player above to enjoy a performance by The New Mastersounds live from New York's Brooklyn Bowl on 2015-05-16

Set One (2:00 PM Afternoon Kid's Set):
01. tuning/intro
02. Miracles
03. Morning Fly
04. This Ain't Work
05. Treasure
06. Whistle Song
07. The In Crowd
08. The Minx
09. Spooky
10. Baby Bouncer
11. Double Barrel
12. Burnt Back
13. Make Me Proud
14. outro/crowd

Set Two (Evening Show Set 1):
01. Soulshine
02. Run The Gauntlet
03. Take What You Need
04. MRG
05. Upstairs *
06. Pick Up The Pieces *
07. All Wrapped Up *
08. Just Not Ready For Love @
09. Enough Is Enough @
10. Never Did I Stop Loving You @

Set Three (Evening Show Set 2):
01. intro/crowd
02. Flimsy Lewis
03. Vandenburg Suite
04. Summercamp
05. All We Can Do @
06. Joy *@
07. Hey Fela *
08. Jan Jan *
09. Drop It Down
10. It's All Right Now
11. outro/crowd

Eddie Roberts - guitar
Simon Allen - drums
Pete Shand - bass guitar
Joe Tatton - organ and piano

* w/ the West Coast Horns: Mike Olmos - trumpet & Danny Casares - tenor saxophone
@ w/ Charly Lowry - vocals