Media kit
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Open EPKAbout the Funkestra
A studio band built for deep-pocket funk
Redtenbacher's Funkestra is led by Austrian bassist, composer and bandleader Stefan Redtenbacher, with a wide family of musicians whose credits span jazz, funk, pop, soul and session work.
The band brings Stefan's bass-led writing to life with horn lines that bite, rhythm sections that breathe, and an arranger's ear for letting featured players shine.
At a glance
Styles
Funk, Soul/R&B, Acid jazz, Jam-band energy, Horn-band writing
Feel
Energetic, Upbeat, Joyful, Original funky grooves, High-energy live feel
Story
1995: Berklee beginnings / 1996: London and the Funkestra / 2005: The live band returns
The sound
Original funk with a session-band soul
Energetic, upbeat and horn-led, the Funkestra sits between funk, soul/R&B, acid jazz and jam-band fire, with original grooves and featured players stepping forward at the right moment.
"Out and out spectacular Funk"
"A pure slice of unalloyed, joyful Funk"
"Fantastic wall-to-wall funk"
The players
A flexible family of serious groove people
Meet a core crew of long-running Funkestra collaborators whose playing shapes the sound on stage and in the studio.
Bass, composer, bandleader
Stefan Redtenbacher
Bassist, composer, bandleader, producer. Captain of the illustrious groove ship. Loves to conceptualise and to drill down to tiny minutiae all the same. As long as he can create he is happy.
Read Stefan's story
Drums
Mike Sturgis
Drummer. Educator. Seriously experienced drummer and bedrock of the band since 2005. Originally from the USA. Nicknames: ‘The Oracle’, ‘Sam The Eagle’. Deep thinker and maestro of mindfulness.
Artist website
Percussion
Karl Vanden Bossche
Percussion player to the greats. His awesome percussion skills and 'groove hook-up' with Mike Sturgis are equalled only by his warm personality. Proud of his Ghanian roots and less so of his coffee machine.
Artist website
Hammond organ
Dave Limina
Hammond organ titan. Chair of the Berklee College of Music piano department. Longest standing Funkestra member | since 1996 despite the pond between us. Serious Jaco fan.
Artist profile
Hammond organ
Ross Stanley
Hammond organ supremo and unique British talent. Brings magic to the band without any fuss. Also known as #therossstanely on social media.
Guitar
Mike Outram
Polymath and the guitarist’s guitarist. He joined the band in 2018 after long standing guitarist Eran Kendler was looking for brighter pastures in life. Has never repeated any lick in any of his solos so far. Outstanding.
Artist website
Guitar
Tony Remy
Uber session guitarist. Tony has played with ‘everybody’. Is guaranteed to set fire to any music in the studio or stage. Larger than life character doing things his way - a ‘rock’n’roll original with ol’ skool values.
Trumpet
Paul Jordanous
Super musical trumpeter and keyboard player. Loves to have a laugh and a joke. Always happy to share his arrangement skills and new found love for artistry expressed by JOP. Not the only one with a tricky last name in this band.
Paul on Instagram
Tenor saxophone
Piers Green
Brilliant alto | tenor saxophone player and electronic music influenced producer. A quiet but huge musical force. Brings the Funk on the sax with cool yet friendly demeanour.
Piers on Facebook
Hammond organ
Liam Dunachie
Hammond Organ and Piano player. The Shropshire man has only recently joined our collective but has taken to us like the proverbial funky duck to water. Sharp wit and nimble fingers. Never short of ideas and always ready to offer them up.
Artist website