After a decade of busy touring life across four continents, sharing stage and studio with artists like Buena Vista Social Club, Chucho Valdes, Marcus Miller, Esperanza Spalding, Herbie Hancock, Marc Almond, and Quincy Jones, a few seasoned musicians got together in Los Angeles for a new beginning. 

 

Meet California Funk & Sound Unit, ear candy and a fine music collective, whose tastefully selected repertoire mixes classy smooth jazz and legendary funk with fresh interpretations of time-proven R&B and soul hits to deliver equally entertaining and aesthetically fulfilling musical experience. 

 

This truly international act draws a plethora of inspirations and influences from the musicians’ rich and diverse cultural backgrounds. The band is led by Berklee College of Music alum, award winning bassist/producer Oleg Smirnov, and features a handful of prominent A-list Los Angeles performers, including Latin Grammy and Hollywood in Music Awards winning producer and saxophonist Gen Nady, Italian keyboardist Marco Apicella, a jazz scholar resident at the University of Southern California. Eventually, Cuban drums virtuoso Ramses Rodrigues added his signature touch. The band's artistic performances often feature special guest instrumentalists and vocalists: recently the quartet had jazz guitar prodigy Egor Sherman contributing to the sonic palette.

 

California Funk & Soul Unit play big and think big. With the 2019 performance dates filling up quickly, the collective is looking forward to a national tour and a Grammy nomination in 2020.

 

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