Lettuce

A project that formed in 1992, the members of Lettuce members met at summer music camp at the Berklee School of Music ��” and found in each other a common bond in all things Funk. They do not tour often, but when they do it is a big deal.

Eric Krasno (guitarist in Lettuce, as well as Soulive) describes the meeting process: “I hate to sound cheesy, but I fully feel it was destiny that this band came together,” says Krasno. “We were all in the same place, all the same age. None of the friends I grew up with were into music like I was. Then I went to Berklee that summer, and all these guys were into music the way I was, and it happened that we were all playing the right instruments to put together a band.”

Meeting up a few years later as full-time students of Berklee, the members took up right where they left off earlier ��” honing their craft on stages at any and every opportunity. In fact, their name is a play on the words “let us” as in “please let us play on stage with you” ��” which was a battle-cry of the band members, eager to share in making and sharing live music.

They have recently released their third album, “RAGE!”, which shows the growth of their jazz/funk skills ��” while staying true to the traditions of their influences: James Brown, P-Funk and Bootsy, TOP, Maceo and the Kingsmen, Clyde Stubblefield, Melvin Parker, and Jabo Starks, Herbie Hancock ,Sly, Larry Graham and the gang, Kool and the Gang(PRE JT Taylor) J Dilla, the Meters, AWB, Stevie, Donnie, Zapp, Prince, D'Angelo, Brides of Funkenstein, Parlet, Eric B & Rakim and others.

With their latest Velour Recordings release, “Outta Here,” Lettuce comes raw: no fluff, nothing smooth, just hard funkiness. Combining the grittiness of the Meters with the harmonic textures of Herbie Hancock, the album is completely true to the music. And as if it couldn't get any better the guys were joined on the album by heroes such as guitar great John Scofield, trombone legend Fred Wesley and Soulive organist Neal Evans.

Krasno, who is using both the Source Audio Hot Hand Wah and the Phaser Flanger, and is a completely bad-ass player, is joined by familiar fanatics of funk Erick “E.D.” Coomes on bass, keyboardist Neal Evans, saxophonists Sam Kininger and Ryan Zoidis, Rashawn Ross on trumpet and drummer Adam Deitch. Neal Evans is one of the great keyboard players on the planet and is not to be missed in either Lettuce or Soulive. It is interesting that all members of Lettuce have gone on to do big things with their careers.