If you haven't heard of Naughty Professor, there’s a good chance that they have recently performed near you. The New Orleans group has been scorching stages across the USA and beyond with their unique blend of bombastic funk and supreme musicianship. The sextet’s efforts have allowed them to collaborate with artists like Chali 2na, David Shaw of The Revivalists, Ivan Neville, and Mike Dillon. While their last release Identity from 2017 found the group expanding their sound to include these impressive musical voices, they are now returning to their six-piece instrumental roots with a new EP on the way entitled Everyday Shredder, which is due out November 8. To preview the forthcoming project, the band has released a studio video for the ferocious single “3 Wise Men.”
From the song’s opening moments, we are reminded of Naughty Professor’s aggressive yet charming sound with a deep, gurgling bass line shared by bassist Noah Young and baritone saxophonist Nick Ellman that pervades the track. The rest of the band soon joins with some fascinatingly unpredictable melodies that help explain the group’s upward trajectory over the past few years. The song climaxes with a fiery back-and-forth between tenor sax player Ian Bowman and trumpeter John Culbreth, while the rest of the band ramps up the energy to a frenzy. With astounding chops and a sound that continues to push the boundaries of funk, Naughty Professors’ new EP will be one to watch.
"3 Wise Men" is available to stream or download here.
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