Wed May 21
Joe Keyes “The Late Bloomer” – Vocal Vibeologist
and The Late Bloomer Band:
Sherita "Love" Harris - Drums
Paul Onheiser - Keyboards
Lyle Saunders - Bass Guitar
Victor Crisen - Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Melanie Brown -Alto Saxophone
Zach Reynolds - Tenor Saxophone
John McCahey - Trombone
Chris Spagnolo - Baritone Saxophone
Born out of a jam session in Reisterstown, Maryland, in 2010, Joe Keyes and the Late Bloomer Band brought together a promising group of up-and-coming musicians, united under the tutelage of lifelong funk aficionado Joe Keyes. The band’s blazing guitars, thumping bass, hypnotic keyboards, powerful horns and thunderous drums elevated Keyes’ deep, commanding vocals and enthralling tales of love, addiction, sobriety, family and friendship. Paying homage to Parliament-Funkadelic, Miles Davis, Sun Ra and Gil Scott-Heron, Keyes would steer the band’s highly refined sound into psychedelic territory, tight grooves and epic crescendos.
Fifteen years later, Joe Keyes and the Late Bloomer Band remains a fierce musical force. As the lineup has changed over the years, with the band serving as a launching pad for myriad young musicians, so has the sound. What started as a funk-rock band has evolved into a fresh concoction of funk, jazz, R&B, soul and rock.