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Winter Williams presents

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WEDNESDAY MARCH 12TH

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Instrumental Funk Session

Featuring Ben Bloom, Billy Thompson, Grant Schroff & Jason Gray

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7:30pm doors / 8:00pm show

$10 ADV / $20 DOOR

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IVY ROOM | 21+

(rsvp on facebook)

Winter Williams Presents an Instrumental Funk Session on Wednesday, March 12th at the Ivy Room in Albany, CA. Featured will be Ben Bloom (guitar), Grant Schroff (drums) and Jason Gray (bass) from Seattle-based Polyrhythmics with local Billy Thompson (drums) from The Gold Souls, Boot Juice & Sun Hop Fat. Special guests will include Brian Swislow aka B. Swizlow (keys) from Object Heavy.

Join us for another unique music experience curated especially for lovers of instrumental Funk influenced by Afrobeat, Jazz, R&B and more!

Doors open at 7:30 and downbeat is 8:00pm.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the door (cash only).

Musicians include:

Ben Bloom is a guitarist, performer, recording artist and composer with a rich and diverse career spanning over 25 years. Ben co- founded the instrumental psych/funk band Polyrhythmics and has recorded/performed with and composed music for many of the finest and funkiest, West-Coast, recording and touring projects including: Unsinkable Heavies, Rezin Tooth, Rippin Chicken, The Oscillators, Big Kitty, Funkways, The Funk Revolution, Rezin Tooth, Delvon Lamaar Organ Trio, Seattle Secret Sound Society, War Pigeon and many more. Ben’s unique approach to guitar playing and composition, stems from his love for the great rhythm, funk, and R&B guitar players of the 60’s and 70s. While a skilled lead player who is fully capable of lighting up a stage, Ben is happiest sitting in the pocket and treating his guitar like a percussion instrument, adding syncopated lines, funky rhythm chops and wah wah drenched lines to support and enhance the sonic moment both in studio, and on the bandstand.

Billy D Thompson is a drummer, songwriter, producer, and engineer based in Sacramento. He brings a unique and joyful approach to the drums at every performance. Both playful and powerful, Billy D has a reputation for welcoming the audience into the music. He’s toured extensively with Boot Juice, and his own band The Gold Souls, and played many California stages with Ten Foot Tiger and Sun Hop Fat. He runs Warm & Fuzzy Music, collaborating with many of Sacramento’s great up and coming artists in the studio.

Brian Swislow aka B. Swizlo, is a keyboardist, composer, songwriter of Humboldt County California’s Object Heavy. He is best known for his explosive and percussive style, thanks to his childhood life as a drummer. Swiz lends a palette of rock, soul, funk, and hip hop influences to his sound. B. Swizlo’s versatility and ability to improv, mixed with a rock steady attitude, make his performances exhilarating to watch and easy to get down to.

Grant Schroff has been earning a reputation as a first call drummer, composer and producer for the last 15 years. He is a founding member of Seattle’s psych-funk powerhouse, Polyrhythmics. Holding down the drum chair as well as composing many tunes for the band. Grant is based in Seattle but has toured the United States, Canada and Europe extensivily. He has also recorded and/or toured with Delvon Lamar Organ Trio, Skerik, Lucky Brown and Unsinkable Heavies just to name a few. Currently he is working on his first record as band leader under the name Champagne Bubblebath.

Jason Gray is well known as a bass player’s bass player within the deep funk and soul realm. The third co-founder of Seattle’s premier large format Afro-Psych band - the Polyrhythmics, as well as serving as a long-time first call side man for local and regional artists. His heavily rooted bass lines have been inspiring people to move to the groove all across Europe and North America. Also an accomplished studio engineer and producer, he has operated Blue Mallard Recording for the last 15 years in West Seattle. This is where many a Seattle band has passed through to add top-quality recordings to their legacy.

Background:
Started in June, 2023, Instrumental Funk Sessions at the Ivy Room showcase local and touring musicians collaborating in unique combinations that highlight the musicality and virtuosity of each performer. All Sessions feature a core group of musicians joined by surprise guests sitting-in throughout the night. For more information email winter@winterwilliamspresents.com.