Whirlwind Recordings is pleased to announce the release of bassist Orlando le Fleming’s new recording Romantic Funk: The Unfamiliar. On his Whirlwind debut, the formidable bassist pays tribute to the high-intensity fusion of the 1980’s with an impressive team of top flight players including Philip Dizack on trumpet and Will Vinson on saxophone, Sean Wayland on keys, and drummers Kush Abadey and Nate Wood. Romantic Funk: The Unfamiliar will be available as a vinyl LP, CD and digital download on September 18, 2020. “Outstanding” is an overused description but one that’s applied to bassist Orlando le Fleming so consistently that its justification can’t be denied. Since relocating from his native UK to New York City, he has thrived in the world’s toughest jazz environment, and brought his inimitable personality to work on projects for the likes of Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Bill Charlap, Billy Cobham, Wayne Krantz, Ari Hoenig, Seamus Blake, Jeff “Tain” Watts and David Sanchez among many others. As a leader he shines even brighter - his drumless OWL Trio in particular gained plaudits across the board for its hushed, intimate atmosphere. Now, le Fleming unveils a completely different conception; his new release introduces listeners to a new sound and a new band, Romantic Funk. All the compositions are by le Fleming, developed over time at the band’s extended residency at the legendary 55 Bar in NYC’s Greenwich Village, and captured live in the studio. The power and precision of the performances astonishes throughout. Says le Fleming: “In less than two days in the studio, this album was all played live, with very few edits and overdubs. The musicians are of such high quality that the risk taking paid off. For me, the inexpressible magic of the group and moment in time was captured."
