It was a bill that was full of bands that I have been anticipating seeing. I have seen members in each band play individually in all-star jams and as guests with other bands, but this was what I was waiting for. The New Mastersounds together with Analog Son and Adam Robinson & the Funky Monks opening. This was a hat trick with three great musical acts for the price of one. The crowd bulked up late, but none the less, they were there, and it was packed.

Last summer, Analog Son released one of the strongest debut albums I’ve heard in quite some time. Guitarist Jordan Linit and bassist Josh Fairman composed the tracks and enlisted 18 musicians – ranging from nationally recognized to locally cherished – to imbue the songs with a euphonious blend of fusion and funk.

From the blossoming Colorado music scene comes Analog Son. The brainchild of Jordan Linit (Kinetix/Ableminds) and Josh Fairman (Kinetix), the project incorporates a rotating cast of players including members of the Shady Horns, the Motet, Lettuce, New Mastersounds and Ivan Neville of Dumstaphunk.

I moved to Colorado in 2010 to pursue my Masters degree in education. I chose CU because it had a strong program for my discipline, but I’d be lying if I said the town of Boulder, itself, held no sway in my decision. Having wandered in a proverbial desert of live music for five years, I was a deeply dehydrated Deadhead who needed an oasis to slake my thirst. Occasionally, a noteworthy band played at The Santa Fe Brewing Company or an hour south at one of Albuquerque’s few ramshackle venues, but these were rare occasions.

It is quite rare for album art to get noticed in the age of iTunes and Mp3 players. But I found myself captivated by the cover of Analog Son’s eponymously titled debut album when it arrived in the mail. I couldn’t help but notice a distinct similarity to one of funk’s most celebrated records. On the cover of Maggot Brain, Funkadelic’s ‘71 masterpiece, a woman is buried neck deep in the dirt, her licorice-colored Afro almost camouflaged by the soil that surrounds it.