Things That Go Funk in the Night Brotherhood of Groove at Café Portofino Sept. 30 By Jeff Eason From the old-school masters like The Meters to today’s brash kids like Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, it seems as if the Crescent City of New Orleans has an endless supply of talented funksters. Brotherhood Of Groove Case in point: guitarist Brandon Tarricone and his revolving door band of musicians that go by the name Brotherhood of Groove. Grabbing the New Orleans funk spirit by the horns and steering it toward serious electric jazz is no easy feat but Tarricone and his cohorts pull it off in a stylish way that recalls the heyday of jazz-funk in the 70s. Brotherhood of Groove will return to the High Country next Thursday, September 30, for a show at Café Portofino in Boone. The music starts around 10:30 p.m. Brotherhood of Groove will bring with them a new album titled BOG Style. The album features six new Tarricone compositions plus three classic funk tunes including the Michael Pellera’s “New Orleans Mambo,” a timeless tribute to the dances of Mardi Gras. All of the new tunes on BOG Style feature the amazing horn playing of Tarricone’s rotating roster of musical partners including saxophonists Geoff Vidal, Jeff Watkins, Sam Kininger, Henley Douglas Jr., and trumpet player Steve Bernstein. The album also features appearances by Ivan Neville on organ, clavinet and vocals, Uganda Roberts on congos, and Christina Machado on vocals. The core of the band remains Tarricone on guitar, Stewart McKinsey on bass and Jon Massing on drums. “We recorded this album during the few weeks of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 2004 during which time we were able to collaborate with some great players,” said Tarricone. “Jeff Watkins has taken the time to get this record really happening sonically, not only as a producer but as a player. His knowledge of horn arranging from all his years with James Brown has found the perfect space in my compositions.” One of the best new Tarricone compositions on the album is the Halloween ready “Green Zombies.” With guitar inspired by Frank Zappa and flute from Ian Anderson, the song is a terrific tribute to all things that go funk in the night. Although not all of the performers who appear on BOG Style will appear in concert in Boone, Tarricone always gathers a core group of talented musicians for his live performances. For more information, call Café Portofino at (828) 264-7772.