"It sure feels strange promoting an EP release while the fight against systemic racism is at the forefront of everyone's minds these days," shares bandleader Jeremy Beck from Jeremy Beck & The Heavy Duty Horns. "In a musical context, Black music has created what we know as American music. Without the great Black musicians, artists and writers, plain and simple, American music would not exist."
The New York City-based eight-piece vintage soul ensemble is gearing up to release their debut EP, Take Me By The Hand, later this month. In advance of the release, the band has shared second single "Oh Baby!" with Relix Magazine.
Check out "Oh Baby!" on Spotify or via your preferred streaming platform: linktr.ee/JBHDH.
"So much of the music I’ve played and produced throughout my career has been directly inspired by Black musicians and I will be forever grateful," Beck expands on the topic. "Growing up in Alabama and during my time in New Orleans, Black music and culture molded me into the musician and person I am today. Our single 'Oh Baby!' is obviously inspired by the great love songs of the 50s from artists like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and countless others. I hope 'Oh Baby!' brings listeners joy and I hope that someday, we can all look at each other and see people, and celebrate the many colors we all come in. Let’s all stand strong together and keep fighting the battle against this horrible, systemic disease. In the words of Edward Howard and the great Donny Hathaway, let us all sustain the hope in our hearts that 'Someday, We’ll All Be Free.'"
The band's previous single, "Take Me By The Hand," was praised by SoulTracks, who wrote, "Led by Beck’s joyful tenor, this NYC-based eight-piece band oozes out jazzy soul on this swinging six-minute track that channels Tower of Power and Blood, Sweat & Tears."
Largely inspired by Beck's humble beginnings in rural Alabama and the soulful gospel of New Orleans, Take Me By The Hand marks the first compilation of songs credited to a band composed of sidemen who have cut their teeth playing with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and Missy Elliot, to name a few.
Take Me By The Hand is due out June 26th with pre-order happening now: jbhdh.bandcamp.com.
Head to the band's website and official Facebook page for more information and stay tuned for Take Me By The Hand, due out June 26th.
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Blurring the lines between vintage soul, gospel, and rock, Jeremy Beck & The Heavy Duty Horns are an intoxicating musical powerhouse with a bold sound and a broad range, the kind of shape shifting collective that boasts versatility and virtuosity in equal measure. Fueled by a phalanx of funky horns and anchored by Beck’s mesmerizing keyboards and vocals, the 8-piece NYC band draws on decades of influence in their music, filtering everything from Prince and Lou Rawls to Tower of Power and Blood, Sweat & Tears through a modern lens. The result is Take Me By The Hand, the group’s exhilarating four-song debut, due out June 26th, and Beck’s first foray into the spotlight as a frontman.
