Ven. 02/12 IT #Roma | CrossRoads Live Club
Dom. 04/12 IT #Bergamo | Druso
Lun. 05/12 HU #Budapest | RaM Theater
Mar. 06/12 IT #Bologna | Bravo Caffè
Mer. 07/12 IT #Forlì | Forum Live Jazz c/ Teatro Dragoni Meldola
Gio. 08/12 IT #Napoli | Teatro Auditorium Salvo D”acquisto
Ven. 09/12 IT #Cosenza | Teatro Auditorium Unical
Dom. 11/12 IT #Bari | Teatro Comunale Luciani di Acquaviva delle Fonti
Mar. 13/12 NL #Zoetermeer | Poppodium Boerderij
Bobby Sparks|Keyboards
Keith Anderson | Sax
Jay McK | Bass
Brannen Temple | Drums
James Robinson | Vocals
DJ Ernie G
A Grammy-winning jazz and gospel organist, Bobby Sparks II is best known as a member of the band Snarky Puppy, and as a longtime collaborator with gospel leader Kirk Franklin. Following his debut with Franklin in the early ’90s, he was a member of Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, and played alongside a mix of jazz, gospel, and pop luminaries including Fred Hammond, Marcus Miller, George Benson, Nelly Furtado, and many more. In 2019, he released his long-awaited solo album, Schizophrenia: The Yang Project.
Born in 1973 in Corsicana, Texas, Sparks grew up with parents who were teachers and musicians. His mother, a church organist, started him on the piano at age three, and encouraged his love of hymns and gospel music. Similarly, his father played trumpet and introduced him to jazz, including organists like Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, and Lonnie Smith. Sparks developed quickly, and throughout his childhood played often for church choirs, musical workshops, and vocal ensembles. At age 16, he was gifted a Hammond B-3 which he soon mastered. After high school, he further honed his skills studying music at Eastfield College in Mesquite near Dallas. It was during this period that he met and joined Kirk Franklin’s gospel group. From 1992 to 2005, he worked as Franklin’s musical director, touring and contributing to albums like 1993’s Kirk Franklin & the Holy Family, 1998’s Nu Nation Project, and 2002’s The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin. With Franklin he earned a bevy of accolades, including numerous Grammy Awards.
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An in-demand session player, Sparks has worked with gospel luminaries like Fred Hammond, CeCe Winans, and Donnie McClurkin, as well as artists from the jazz and R&B world including Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Lalah Hathaway, and Kirk Whalum, among others. He was a key member of trumpeter Roy Hargrove’s funk-jazz outfit RH Factor, appearing on 2003’s Hard Groove, 2004’s Strength, and 2006’s Distractions. Over the years, Sparks also branched out into radio and television, supplying the music for shows like Top Model and movies like The Prince of Egypt. Away from performing, he has also served as organist for Pathway of Life Church.
Since 2016, he has been a regular member of the acclaimed jam band Snarky Puppy, appearing on 2016’s Grammy-winning Culcha Vulcha, and 2019’s Immigrance. Also in 2019, Sparks released his first album as a leader, Schizophrenia: The Yang Project, which featured contributions by Hargrove, Marcus Miller, Snarky Puppy’s Michael League, and others.
Swiss based trio hitting your brains, hearts and limbs. The Next Movement: Character, authenticity and urgency – but above all: Groove.
Explosive Groove-pop with enough funky soul might be the most accurate description of their fairly unswiss sound creation. Comparisons to Anderson. Paak and references to Prince show up on a regular. Call it what you want; their music is very meaningful and grooves hard.
Swiss-based Groove Trio “The Next Movement” announce what they call “The Glorios Return of The Funk” in 2020 – dilldoard, Funk Update
A first listen might suggest: this is a new production emerging from the legendary funk scene of Minneapolis. Wrong by far! Three Swiss musicians are boosting Funk to new heights on the new album THE NEXT MOVEMENT (LEOPARD Records). J.J. Flueck, Pascal «P» Kaeser and Sam
Siegenthaler form the explosive helvetic Trio, with their music unmistakably fusing the influences of R&B, funk and blues from James Brown, Prince, Jimi Hendrix to Miles Davis on this album. And they do it in skillful and sonic perfection.
All three musicians have known each other for decades and have played together in various scenarios, often as sidemen. Up to the day where they decided to bring their own song material to life with THE NEXT MOVE-MENT. Founding the band was the logical next step in
their music careers. And since all three are fans of funk, R&B, blues and jazz, the direction they would take musically, was very clear.
THE NEXT MOVEMENT is a highly danceable, endlessly grooving album that captivates you from the first listen and makes you want to move your body.
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J.J. Flueck
Born in Olten and raised in Solothurn and the USA, drummer, singer and bandleader J.J. Flueck has been one of the most active players and pus-hers in the Swiss music scene for years. After completing his jazz studies at the Musikhochschule Basel and various further training courses in the USA, he has left his unique groove mark on countless projects and bands on the drumset and as musical director. Besides his own bands «The Next Movement», «JJ’s Hausband» or as musical director for the top-class «James Brown Tribute Show», he played and produced for many years with the exceptional rapper Greis or with Nicole Bernegger as well as for the intercontinental project «Rogue State Alliance» (Pro Helvetia South Africa and Switzerland) and many more.
J.J. Flueck was awarded the Förderpreis der Regiobank Solothurn (2005) and the Prize for Music of the Canton of Solothurn (2014).
Pascal «P» Kaeser
Pascal «P» Kaeser Pascal Kaeser, or often called «P» {π} for short among musicians, knows no compromises when it comes to groove. Already during his electric bass studies at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston (USA), he con-centrated on Afro-American music styles: soul, funk, R&B and jazz shaped his 4 years in America, where he studied with Anthony Vitti, David Buda, Whit
Brown and Fernando Huergo. In New England and New York he soon shares the stage with Antonio Sanchez (Pat Metheny), Tony Escapa (Ricky Martin) and Keith Harris (Black Eyed Peas).
After the occasional struggles to pronounce his name correctly, his fellow musicians soon decide to call him “PK” and eventually just “P” for short. After graduation in 2000, “P” returns and shortly thereafter establishes himself in the Swiss music scene. The next few years are marked by intensive concert activity and a very wide range of different projects. This leads to collaborations with the rapper Greis, the soul singer Nicole Bernegger, the jazz pianist Claude Diallo and the composition commission for the Circus Monti programme in 2013. Together with the production company cucoclip, Pascal works on va-rious short films and nationally and internationally broadcast commercials. As part of the musician pool Take This, “P” is on stage with Adrian Stern, Polo Hofer, William White, Lo & Leduc, Nemo, Marc Sway, Brandy Butler, Max Mutzke, Steffe la Cheffe and other artists.
Sam Siegenthaler
Samuel Siegenthaler, (*1980) professional musician, born and raised in Burgdorf (BE), is a guitarist with heart and soul.
His first influences were his parents’ varied record collection and his father’s guitar playing.
The initial spark came at the age of 12 with the first much longed-for instrument of his own.
Five years of training in classical guitar lead to the world of electric guitars. From then on, selfstudy and lessons with Marco Figini and Zlatko «Slädu» Perica, training at the Lucerne Jazz School.
Since 2003 intensive concert activity, mainly with the groove conglomerate J.J. Flueck and Pascal «P» Kaeser. Performances at home and abroad with renowned artists from the most diverse areas of pop, blues, rock, reggae, funk, hip-hop and soul. He is a permanent member
of J.J.’s house band, The James Brown Tribute Show, Soulvision Allstars, Soul Train, Prince Tribute.
He is also a sought-after sideman for Eliana Burki, William White, Greis, Steff la Cheffe, Msoké, Tommy Vercetti, Manillio, Nicole Bernegger, Mario Capitanio, Luca Hänni.
Concerts throughout Europe, USA, Canada, South America, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.
2005 Awarded the Culture Promotion Prize of the Burgdorf Burgergemeinde.
