A groove that takes in jazz, funk, soul and hip hop all at once…
The Ray Mann Three @ The Hopetoun, Sydney (17/04/09)
Posted by Luke_Rod, 21st April, 2009
The room suddenly groaned as the frozen-handed nicotine fiends made their reappearance before a stage that was occupied by three very dapper looking gents, each with matching tie and waistcoat. *
The Ray Mann Three* opened with a fifteen-minute jam of Feels So Good. Ray Wassef’s vocals were smooth and flirtatious, his rhythmic guitar augmented by bass player Byron Luiters’ quivering groove, as drummer Grant Gerathy tapped lightly at the frame of his snare.
The crowd around the room was yahooing to the funky sounds, feeding off the obvious energy and delight the three groovemakers took from playing to a jam-packed room. Drummer Grant was swaying his head side-to-side, constantly changing up time signatures with bass player Byron.
The gig was the launch of the latest single Hook Me Up from their debut self titled LP. I’ve been listening to this song for a while now and it really was killer live. They’ve got a groove that takes in jazz, funk, soul and hip hop all at once.
The band certainly possesses a charismatic live presence, ranging from the slow soulful lament of Morena to the shout-along-inducing Opa Opa. Go on, get yourself out to a Ray Mann Three gig: you’re sure to benefit from a dose of funky soul.
Source: FasterLouder.com.au