Otis P. and The Jive Funk - Seattle WA
by Pat Ferris

Seattle has been known as a music mecca since rock and roll was born, churning out great bands and artists that have defined eras of rock. Being from Seattle, it makes it easy to see great bands, but it also makes it difficult to not be TOO Seattle top-heavy as far as reviews go, but there are some local bands that are so good, it's unfair to NOT review them, so here goes another one!

I saw Otis P. and the Jive Funk for the first time this summer at The Seattle Hempfest on the Mainstage at about the peak of the afternoon. Because of construction, the stages were located in different areas, and the mainstage could only accommodate an audience of a few thousand...substantially less than the estimated 30,000 at Hempfest 2000. In spite of the smaller crowd, the audience was treated to a mind-bending performance from one of the funkiest bands I've seen in years.

Four of the five band members sing, creating harmonies that take you back to the days of Earth Wind and Fire. Mike Miller on drums Denali Williams on percussion and funkadellic bassist Shane Smith layed down some funked up and thumping grooves, with keyboardist Kevin Jenkins on keys and guitarist RL Heyer (aka Otis P.) played his hollow body Gibson 335 (or something like it) with an aggressive passion that left the crowd begging for more.

I received their press pack shortly after introducing myself to them, and while listening to the four-song EP of their upcoming release, I can see that this is another Seattle band that has a big chance to make more than a small splash. You can find some tasty MP3s and videos at their official homepage as well as a current calendar of where you may be able to see The Jive Funk live.

For more information on Otis P. and the Jive Funk, CLICK HERE

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