The Next Level

Funk'n'stein is an 8 piece funk group made out of nationally known and respected musicians who use their uncompromising groove to get their message through. With songs about love, making a change, the need for peace, and funky beats they sweep you into the twirling soul and groove hurricane they bring to the stage. After performing on every club and festival in their home land they have released their debut album in 2006 and started touring internationally. Even though they are an English singing funk band, living in Israel, they were accepted by radio stations and had numerous TV appearances, growing a strong fan base in Israel and around the globe. With their 2nd album out, they are determined to bring their love and music to whoever needs it.

It's an amusing little slice of the pop culture times that veteran bassist Sekou Bunch is better known to the American public as the first eliminated contestant from Survivor: Cook Islands (2006, the thirteenth season of the show) than for his incredible all-star resume featuring everyone from Quincy Jones and Luther Vandross to Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, the Winans, and Stevie Wonder. His experience on the show probably made him impervious to the odds of a new name (this was his first solo effort since the early '90s) breaking through the smooth jazz format when this was released. The success of Wayman Tisdale aside, another obstacle was the fact that he's an ace bassist, not the most radio-friendly instrument in the genre. All that said, The Next Level is a solid, coolly funky, and supermelodic date, on par with and even surpassing the catchy and grooving joy that Tisdale was famous for.