New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ St. Louis, MO) - Saint Louis' Dawn
Weber & Electro Funk Assembly heralds their role in the evolution of contemporary dance music with their debut CD, 'Now I See', and presents a one-of-a-kind CD release event on Friday June 11th at Lola, 500 N. 14th St.
Borrowing from a broad range of influences, Dawn Weber & Electro Funk Assembly, or EFA, has constructed its own niche on the Midwestern music landscape. Originally brought together in the late '90s via regional, dance-groove sensation Urban Jazz Naturals (UJN), classically trained trumpet player / vocalist Dawn Weber and DJ Christian Oncken immediately discovered a chemistry that extended from the stage to the studio. Their smooth and innovative collaborations were pivotal to the development of UJN's original material and subsequent regional touring success.
When UJN split five years ago, Oncken and Weber pursued separate paths. Oncken formed the independent Sploit Record label and set to composing original works. Many found their way onto DJ's playlists and mixes from coast to coast, and several landed on nationally distributed dance-music compilations. He also formed Final Veil, still active today, an electronica-meets-bellydance exploration of global influences through a very modern lens.
Dawn Weber has kept busy at every level, exploring her varied muses via jazz, swing, funk and classical pursuits, including work with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. As comfortable playing horn charts in reserved settings as she is belting out lyrics rock-goddess style at rowdy nightclubs, Weber is clearly an artist of versatility who enjoys challenging herself in multiple musical arenas. With EFA, Weber's engaging demeanor and irresistible, off-center charm are forefront at each performance. She capably carries the vocal load for the group while simultaneously re-defining the vocabulary of horns in dance music.
Guitarist Mark Youngbauer, also a co-collaborator with Weber's popular funk/jam/jazz ensemble Treble Clef Palette, rounds out the EFA trio. A respected St. Louis guitar instructor, Youngbauer's no-nonsense stage presence, clean sound and advanced technical precision form the bridge upon which Weber and Oncken's very disparate and expressive styles find common playground.
'Now I See', while dotted with previously unrecorded Dawn Weber's standards, is an offering of mostly brand-new material. Their first full-length release, each member of EFA feels that the CD is a significant link in their personal evolution. Collectively, it represents their vestment in a process that pushed three very different creative minds to new frontiers and prompted discoveries that no other trio could hope to re-create.
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Forging a bastion for live music in the otherwise clubby Washington Street district, Lola opened in January of this year and has already hosted Dawn Weber with several arrangements. Intimate and without pretense, Lola has been a hospitable setting for band and fans alike and is an obvious choice for the CD-release event. With their steady rotation of appearances in the room, the Lola stage has provided an estuary for EFA's creativity and a comfortable home base where they could develop and polish their new material.
The CD release event will be a celebration of not just the recording and production process, but of the artistic community that has influenced each member of the trio over the years. In addition to full renditions of each song from 'Now I See', attendees can expect special guest musicians and DJ's to pepper the evening's program, and unique arrangements are certain to be seen. Slated to appear throughout the evening are such area standouts as Asako Kuboki, Astroboy, Audra Angelique, Charlie Brown, Flex Boogie, Rob Gray, Jesse Gannon and more�
To accommodate as many fans as possible, the evening's festivities are subdivided into two segments. An early show will go from 7 - 9pm with reserved seating tickets available for $10 plus a two-drink minimum. Seating is very limited and expected to sell out in advance.
A second show runs from 9:30 - close, with general-admission seating and additional standing-room tickets available at the door for $7. Advance tickets are available at Lola during regular business hours or via direct reservations with Dawn Weber at [email protected].
FRIDAY JUNE 11, 2010
Dawn Weber & Electro Funk Assembly
'Now I See' CD-Release Event
Lola
500 N. 14th Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 621 - 7277
www.welovelola.com
7 - 9pm / $10 Adv., Reserved seating. 2 drink min.
9:30pm - 1am / $7 Door
Artist info at www.dawnweber.com
Booking info at www.hwykey.com
