The first movement of Philip Glass String Quartet #3 "Mishima" as recorded on March 28, 2014 in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, at The Exchange Community Church.

Philip Glass Mishima I, 1957 - Award Montage

Baroque Electronic Funeral, Variatio prima, Op. 56, in c molli, Modus IV½, Revisio

One Down, One Up: Live At The Half Note

Afro-Blue (Live At The Half Note)

Over the past eight years, Ikebe Shakedown has cemented a reputation as one of the boldest, most creative acts in the Brooklyn instrumental scene. Combining cinematic soul, Afro–funk, deep disco, and an irrepressible groove, Ikebe has forged a style all its own. Each song is anchored in the deep-pocketed pulse of its four-man rhythm section (Barnaby Alter, drums; Dave Bourla, percussion; Vince Chiarito, bass; Robin Schmidt, guitar) and driven by one of the tightest horn trios on the East Coast (Mike Buckley, tenor/baritone sax; Jason Colby, trumpet; Nadav Nirenberg, trombone), with tunes ranging from dance-foor burners to lush, captivating scores.

The band frst came on the scene with 2009’s debut EP, Hard Steppin’, from Colemine Records.  Praised by WNYC’s Soundcheck as “the perfect soundtrack for the unwritten Tarantino movie of your imagination,” the five–song release led to tours up and down both coasts and paved the way for Ikebe Shakedown’s first full-length LP on Ubiquity Records in 2011. Recorded at Killion Sound in L.A. with Orgone’s Sergio Rios and Dunham Studios in Brooklyn with noted producer Tom Brenneck, this self-titled album featured 14 blistering tracks that Okayplayer called, “an adventurous trip through time” and “one of the best releases of the year.” Having toured the record throughout the U.S. and Canada, Ikebe returned to the studio in 2014 for their follow up album for Ubiquity, Stone by Stone.  Recorded at Daptone Studios, the 10–song set let the band become more adventurous than ever before, weaving psychedelic textures and raw soul into powerful compositions, or as Wax Poetics called it, “a greasy and sometimes trippy funk world.”

Now, after hitting major jazz festivals, opening on extended runs for stars like Lee Fields, and touring with acts like Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, and the Monophonics, the seven members of Ikebe Shakedown are poised for their next big release in 2016. The band’s style has continued to evolve, with material that transports listeners beyond their living rooms and builds on the success that has led to musical features in series such as Eastbound and Down, movies like Our Brand is Crisis, and commercials for brands including Mini Cooper, Van’s Off the Wall, and Surfline. The songs are at once richly familiar and incredibly fresh, paying homage to classic influences while pushing a brand new sound. Defying genre or classification, this album proves Ikebe Shakedown is helping define the next bold wave in instrumental music.

Afro-Blue (Live At The Half Note)

John Coltrane