The Du-Rites Organic Grooves 3 Items

Most bands end up in court or the members try to kill each other by the third album, so to
make it to the seventh means two things: you’ve got funk tenure and a wicker chair is in your
near future. Jay Mumford (drums, percussion, keys) and Pablo Martin (guitar, bass and keys)
have managed to soldier on without repeating themselves or falling into expected retro-funk
tropes. Plug It In gets straight to the point with its title - it’s the band’s funkiest album.
It’s not as psychedelic as their magnum opus, 2020’s A Funky Bad Time, but the title cut
borrows some of that mojo to make a party-starting funk tune. It’s not as jazzy and complex as
last year’s Pressure EP, but Jay’s ride cymbal grooves and the ‘60s Dave Pike influence of
guest vibraphonist Tre D’Ambrocia push “Hole In The Wall” in that direction. The fusion-funk
influences on “Penny Loafers” are rooted in private press releases from a decade later. The
gumbo of modern and vintage influences from their 2016 debut reappear on lead single, “Bay
B. MoMa,” but the groove is a lot stronger these days. The cinematic vibe of 2018’s Gamma
Ray Jones resurfaces on “Tripwire,” but this time with Jay’s never-used-before kalimba as a
lead instrument. Pablo’s experiments with Monotron, Vocoder, use of distortion and vintage
drum machines playing counter to Jay’s drum grooves lend a fresh layer to the band’s sound,
while “Funk Monk” (featuring Beastie Boys’ keyboard wizard, Money Mark) closes out the
album with a whirlwind and brings it all together. Swinging, hard driving, dance floor-ready funk
peppered with all the above. Then there’s “Asbestos,” the hardest-grooving tune in the band’s
catalog. And it grows out of a growling, gnarly organ solo from Pablo.
But it’s still trademark Du-Rites: largely instrumental funk - with occasional vocals from the
band, mysterious street luminary, Broughamin Fred, and vocalist, Marianna D’Ama, who sings
entirely in Italian on “Tioli” - that pulls from everywhere, but mimics nothing.
Outside of The Du-Rites, Jay is a session drummer, who has recently done sessions for Dan
Auerbach, Danger Mouse, Adrian Quesdada, Just Blaze and countless others, in addition to
being sampled by super producers Mark Ronson and Madlib. Pablo holds the lead guitar chair
in the legendary Tom Tom Club, leads punk/rock/soul duo Lulu Lewis and works closely with
Argentinian legends Sergio Rotman and Mimi Maura as a producer. Plug It In is where it all
comes together…and then some.

Pressure is the D.O.A. of some and the D.N.A. of others. For The Du-Rites, it's the latter. Pressure ain’t nothin’ but potassium!



Jay Mumford f/k/a “J-Zone” (drums, keyboards, percussion) and Pablo Martin (guitar, bass, keyboards) used the feared ‘P’ as both the impetus behind and the title of their sixth and most musically adventurous release. Coming off 2020’s A Funky Bad Time LP, how would the NYC-based funk unit follow up in a world where music fans hope live shows return (but not really), want songs instead of an avalanche of 60 second clips to scroll past (but not really) and a lapse back into lockdown never seems far off? And not only follow up, but not repeat? Add vinyl pressing plants offering turnaround as long as nine months and tour plans almost always in pencil, pressure for musicians to write and record almost impossibly fast or be doomed to the algorithm black hole is pumping. The odds are stacked, but odds make us turn corners.



Pressure is half the length but twice the density of its predecessors. Six tracks deep on wax (seven digitally), it’s more orchestrated, a bit more complex, but never, ever sacrificing grease and groove for academia. The hip-hop-and-dub-meet-funk of their 2016 debut; the ‘60s soul nod of 2017’s Greasy Listening; the cinematic "cop show funk" of 2018’s Gamma Ray Jones and the darker psychedelia of A Funky Bad Time - none reappear on Pressure. A subtle jazz leaning is there, but it’s busted and unrefined in a way only The Du-Rites would du. The title track and “Bird Brain” go there. Main single, “The Squeeze,” puts Italian Soundtrack-style vocals and strings in the mix with drippy guitar, reggae influence, Barry White-style ad-libbing and groove drumming for the most distinct and lush tune in the band’s catalog. “Brother Yizar” goes full-on park jam on a percussive, uptempo rampage and the closer, “Fly Swatter,” swings hard with whirling dervish Hammond organ and walking basslines. The mockingly-titled “Math Rock” is the closest thing to any previous Du-Rites, but the wild twists and turns are uncharted territory.



In an ever-uncertain musical landscape, Pressure is The Du-Rites finding a way. Like they always du. But du-in it differently. Live and/or on wax, The Du-Rites have played alongside the likes of Eddie Palmieri, Robert Glasper, Ghostface Killah, Wax Tailor, The Skatalites and members of Sun Ra Arkestra. Individually, Jay and Pablo, as drummer and guitarist, respectively, have worked with Danger Mouse, Lord Finesse, Madlib, Tom Tom Club, Broken Bells, Soul Supreme, Ben Pirani and many more.

We’ve all heard of crowd-funding, but what about crowd-FUNKing? A play on a popular donation portal inspires the title of NYC funk band The Du-Rites’ eighth 7” single, “Go Funk Me”. Drummer Jay Mumford’s syncopated, off-kilter groove counters a ‘60s drum machine pattern, inspired by Sly Stone’s Fresh LP. Pablo Martin’s bass and rhythm guitar lock it all together, while guest flautist Seth Hachen and haunting synths float on top melodically. Then the funk kicks up a notch with breaks, stops, turns and funky counterpoint between the whole band, before breaking into heavy dance floor funk. “Go Funk Me” channels it all from ‘70s Jeremy Steig; to film score orchestration; to expensive private press jazz-funk from the same era. Intermittent “funk banter” from Du-Rites mainstay Broughamin’ Fred brings it all home to cement the band’s trademark sound, with a funky flute twist. The B-Side belongs to “Bucket,” a tip jar anthem any band can relate to, but Mumford’s “put it in the bucket, and pass it around” hook can apply to whatever the listener chooses. The drum groove walks the line between Afro-Beat and New Orleans funk, setting the deep groove early. Then bridge takes it to a whole ‘nother universe, before settling back in while the guitar, bass, clavinet, and even a kalimba get a piece of the action with brief solos. Another double-sided deep funk entry for The Du-Rites, who individually have worked as session and live musicians for artists from Danger Mouse; to Tom Tom Club, to Dan Auerbach; to Kelly Finnegan, Adrian Quesada, Just Blaze and countless others.