Bay Area work horses The M-Tet have long been championed here on Flea Market Funk. From the early 45s on Lugnut Brand Records to the iterations of the band in sweet soul, heavy funk, and more, the band, to us really embodies the word funk all in capital letters. It’s no surprise, that their latest offering, Long Play, once again strikes a chord for funk lovers all over the globe. Whether it’s Booker T. and The MG’s type of funk you are looking for, or a place where soul jazz planted firm roots in the soil of jazz music, there is something for everyone on this record. These Bay Area pugilists, who chose instruments over boxing gloves are indeed fighting to keep this music alive and well, and being from the Bay Area, they have large shoes to fill. And fill them out they do, in fact, one might say they might have to go up a size in said shoes, this record is good. The personnel on the record is top notch, with Chris Lujan on Fender bass, Joe Baer Magnant on Guitar, Gary Pitman on Hammond Organ, and Michael Reed on Drums. Each one forms like Voltron to make the unit complete, elevating the Hammond organ style music to other heights. It’s greasy, gritty, funky, and down right nasty at times. Tracks like “Gold Watch” and “Sal’s U-Save” have permanent grit, and sit along killer tunes like “Bikes” (both previously released on 45), “Sam The Butcher”, and “He Ain’t The Right Type Of Fella” swing it hard. With a track like “Serious Gourmet Shit”, we picture Samuel L. Jackson announcing this tune to his friends at a party: “Jimmy, this is some ‘Serious Gourmet Shit’!” as he flips the record over before uttering a “Motherf*cker!” and turing up the stereo. But the boys in the band know how good their music is, they are the ones that play it. Hitching up to the ghosts of funky Hammond players’ past and heavyweight F-U-N-K champs like The Meters and others, The M-Tet are dead set on taking the foundations of this organ led music and building an empire of their own with their sound. “The Yo-Yo”, heavy drums and all, makes no bones about the organ as it steam rolls through like Jimmy Smith or Groove Holmes once did on the Chitlin’ Circuit tearing down audiences. Their music is really the definition of funk: funky jazz, soul, jazz, early funky R & B, and a high energy tune like “The Beggar” further strengthen that fact. These cats know what they want and know how to get it through their music. From their instruments on the Left Coast to your turntable, The M-Tet are not afraid to keep it real, real funky. Stream the record below, available at better record stores every where and at the link below.

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