From touring with Prince and Toto to recording with Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, members of Ghost-Note have played with some of the biggest musical artists of all time. If that weren’t enough, founding members Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth have combined to win 10 Grammy Awards so far in their careers.
This weekend, the world-renowned musicians in Ghost-Note are bringing their explosive brand of funk to the 250-capacity concert venue at The Livery in Benton Harbor.
Inspired by the sounds of legendary funk artists James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic, Ghost-Note has been pushing funk music into the future since its debut in 2015, infusing styles like afrobeat, psychedelia, jazz fusion, hip hop and world music into the funk sound.
The group’s two studio albums – Fortified and Swagism and both hit No. 1 on the iTunes Jazz Charts, and the band has recorded enough material for three new albums since returning from the pandemic hiatus.
“After being in the house for a year and a half, when we got back out on the road, there was a bit of a learning curve, actually,” said Werth, in an interview with jazz.fm. “We realized as a band that we forgot how to play Swagism — like, the whole record. So, we looked at each other and went well, that’s okay, because we went in the studio and we recorded 36 new songs and we actually have three records on the way, so we just started pulling out new material.”
While the band can have a different lineup on any given night, the band has solidified a core of: Searight on drums; Werth on Percussion; Dwayne “Mononeon” Thomas (Prince) on Bass; Dominique Xavier Taplin (Prince, Toto) on keyboards and vocals; Peter Knudsen on guitar; Sylvester Onyejiaka (Prince, Quantic) on baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone and flute; Jonathan Mones on alto saxophone and flute; and Mike Jelani Brooks on tenor saxophone.
The band’s website describes Ghost-Note concerts as “bold and in your face, with the group offering up none of the tight-laced pretenses frequently associated with the band’s jazz roots. Focused on creating seductive dance-able grooves and a contagious feel-good energy, each show is an opportunity to let loose and connect, for both fans and the musicians alike.”
Music is set to begin at 8 p.m., with an opening set by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter duo Dauzat St. Marie. Tickets are $25 in advance, and can be purchased in advance at The Livery’s website.
