Photo courtesy of Maddy Brown.
We connected with Zebuel Early of mama’s Cookin’ in anticipation of their FIBArk show on Thursday at Riverside Park, 8-10pm. ”Hip-hop beats and conscious lyrics are the sound of Mama’s Cookin’” claims lead man Early. Their style is as much Led Zeppelin as it is The Roots. Smooth but edgy, driven by current themes with an essential nod to the great music of the past.
Zebuel Early worked late nights in Memphis blues clubs and hosted his own R&B radio show in Colorado. He moonlights as a deep-funk and reggae deejay when he’s not playing guitar and fronting Mama’s Cookin. Add Mike Adamo’s rock-solid drums and creative sampling to Steve LaBella’s resonant bass work and you have the Mama’s Cookin’ sound. Jam cruise afficionado Emcee Mike-E Lakritz told us “don’t miss these guys!”
At the Citizen, all we need to know is that if FIBArk music promoter Steve Fisk says these guys are good, than these modern day funkmasters with their Colorado pedigree are probably great. Wanna dance anyone? Pop on this great track as you read..
Where are you guys from?
We come from a distant galaxy. A crazy place about a days drive through Nevada and Utah from Colorado. A beautiful place with legal gambling, In & Out Burger and whore houses. The second deepest lake in North America, wild people and a bunch of pine trees…Kings Beach Lake Tahoe, CA. The band claims Colorado roots via East Coast, Truckee, West Memphis, World Wide.
Well-traveled. So then you know about FIBArk?
I know it’s a white-water festival with a kick ass music festival piggy-backed in. It’s my favorite time of year in one of the coolest spots in the state…People get drunk as hell and throw down. Plus Funnel Cakes.
Yeah Funnel Cakes! OK, watch the pre-schoolers get selfish with Funnel Cakes when they are purchased, then watch them carrying around a nasty half-finished one twenty minutes later. These babes of sweetness will have a sickly sweet look on their face. They might even be sick. Think mini Funnel Cakes for four year olds. But, I digress. Are you on tour now? tell us about your plans for the band.
Yea We are on a Colorado Festival Tour right now playing for about three weeks all over the state. We’re recording in Oakland at the end of the summer and will be releasing a new 12″ shortly after. We’re filming a DVD at a couple of shows from this tour as well that will be released in the fall.
Nice. Why should we come see you?
It’s more fun than being drunk as hell at the house. Plus Raging is fun. And music will sound real nice to you. Shakin it down to the ground is good.
Shakin it down to the ground. Sold. What are your influences?
Led Zeppelin, Three Six Mafia, Hound Dog Taylor, A Tribe Called Quest, The Black Keys, Lee Scratch Perry.
Did you say Lez Zeppelin? They are my friend Loni’s biggest influence as well. OK, if you could do one gig and play with one other act, who would it be and where? (you are not limited to this time space continuem)
I would love to be out on porch somewhere in south in the evening picking some delta blues sippin wome gin with Lightnin’ Hopkins. I’m sure the other guys might throw out Tower of Power, Steely Dan, Bob Marley, Hendrix…
In what way is a river a metaphor for music?
Much like the great life giving water of the river, music too, She gives and replenishes the souls of man an woman alike. Also like a river music is made of hydrogen and oxegen atoms. And has fish in it.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve seen on tour?
The other night in Denver after out show we were rockin some tunes out of our rig and all of the sudden all these crackheads came up and started dancing. We danced in the street for like an hour with all these bums. It was classic. Once in Washington these girls got naked and danced on the bar wrapped in tinfoil. Then they got in a fight and the foil came off. We got paid with a plastic bottle of Whiskey that night and almost crashed our van.
That’s great that you didn’t crash your van because had you been injured, or hit a turtle and rolled over and crushed your instruments we wouldn’t get to see you Thursday. But, that’s selfish and not what Salida is all about. Any sites we might refer folks to?
Check us out at Mamascookinmusic.com and sign up for our newsletter The Cookin Chronicles. Myspace.com/mamascookin. Facebook.com/mamascookin
Thank’s Zebuel. We are super psyched you are coming to our town. It’s gonna be fun. If you need anything, just ask a local. If they don’t help you out just tell us who they are and we’ll hassle them next time we are at Safeway. Happy summer brother!
-bd
FIBArk 2009 MUSIC SCHEDULE
FIBArk invites you to enjoy an amazing line up of FREE music in Salida during the 2009 festival. On Thursday evening, the Salida band The Groove Farmers will kick off FIBArk music with locally grown grooves at Riverside Park from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. They will be followed by the Memphis-influenced beats and reggae samplings of Mama’s Cookin,’ playing from 8 – 10 pm. Enjoy the New Belgium Brewery beer selection and dance the night away with these stellar bands!
Friday evening will feature Lubriphonic from 5:30 – 7:30 pm in the park with their old-school funk and cutting-edge originality that create fun dancing tunes. From 8 – 10 pm, Porter, Batiste, and Stoltz will not only get Salida’s groove on with some of the funkiest music on the scene, but they will also feature special guest, Kyle Hollingsworth, keyboardist of The String Cheese Incident. Keep on dancin’ with Lubriphonic at a Late Night Show at the Salida SteamPlant Theatre. Cost is $10.
Saturday’s music begins at 5:30 pm in the park with the “Americana” folk style of Great American Taxi, led by Leftover Salmon’s front man and Colorado local, Vince Herman. From 8 – 10 pm, pay homage and rock out to Led Zeppelin with the all-female cover band, Lez Zeppelin. At the Salida SteamPlant Theatre, FIBArk will host a Late Night Show by DJ Logic, one of the world’s most accomplished turntablists credited with bringing jazz into hip-hop realms on the turn table. Buy your tickets early! Cost is $10.
FIBArk 2009 Music will end on Sunday with a show from the 20-year-old band Persuasion, a local rock-n-roll, blues, and country band playing in the park from 11 am – 2 pm. Watch the Downriver races and enjoy a New Belgium beer while listening to their Northern New Mexico style. For all FIBArk music details and more information about the festival, please check the official FIBArk website,www.fibark.com, and click on the Music tab. See you in the park!
Thursday, June 18th (Riverside Park)
5:30 – 7:30 pm: The Groove Farmers
8 – 10 pm: Mama’s Cookin’
Friday, June 19th (Riverside park)
5:30 – 7:30 pm: Lubriphonic
8 – 10 pm: Porter, Batiste, and Stoltz featuring Kyle Hollingsworth of SCI
Late Night Show: Lubriphonic (Salida SteamPlant Theatre, $10 cover fee)
Saturday, June 20th (Riverside Park)
5:30 – 7:30 pm: Great American Taxi
8 – 10 pm: Lez Zeppelin
Late Night Show: DJ Logic (Salida SteamPlant Theatre, $10 cover fee)
Sunday, June 21st (Riverside Park)
11 am – 2 pm: Persuasion
I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE LEZ ZEPPELIN!