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Taken from
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Ron Betts
and Dave Mann have been tearing up the Orlando music scene for ten years plus. I ran into
these guys six or seven years ago in a popular Orlando band they were founding members of,
Pitch Blue Jam. |
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USGIGTV Showcase
at George's 5-26-2000 |
Exploring
the best classic styles of R&B, Blues, Jazz, Soul, Folk, and Rock, funkUs is a band of
wide proportions with a great attitude and a winning sense of musicianship. |
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Borrowing from
everyone from Louie Armstrong to Phish and everything in between, funkUs is a band whose
ability to entertain remains fresh at every performance in any venue. The crowd was very
pleased by the powerful sounding songs and eventful energy displayed by everyone on the
stage. |
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Playing gracefully through excellent
renditions of their original songs segued seamlessly into one another, the music takes one
through a wide variety of emotions. Enough grit to see any situation through despite
sometimes seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet sensitive enough to let the beauty of
the music shine like a diamond. |
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With guitar players extraordinare Ron and Dave
trading vocals between songs and trading lead guitar work as well, John Jones has a solid
rhythm to lay his funky bass grooves into. Add Chris Raynor with harmonica, guitar,
trumpet, jaw harp or whatever he needs to have in his hands at the time lends many
textures that you wouldn’t normally get in a groove band. |
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Tying up all the loose ends with a
thunderous punch and amazing accents and fill is expert drummer Adam Freeman. Although the
current lineup sounds and looks well rounded for now, funkUs has pending plans to enlarge
the entourage to accommodate even larger venue capacities. They also have plans for a debut CD
release in the Fall of 2000 and already have plans and material ready for a second album.
So keep your eyes peeled for funkUs in a venue near you. If you’re near Orlando,
don’t miss funkUs every Friday night at Kitty O’Shea’s located in The
Shoppes at Vista Centre in Lake Buena Vista, behind The Crossroads. Call 407-238-9769 for
confirmation. Thanks and great seeing you guys again Dave!
-Rusty James-USGIGTV
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