Latest news with #JungleBoogie
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Folk Fest Saturday: Goldie Boutilier brings glam rock to the hill, The Roots shine with non-stop funk, soul and rap
Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content How the tens of thousands of tarpies made it to the top of the Gallagher Park hill at the end of Saturday night's Folk Fest slate, capped off by a standing-only, high-energy set is beyond me. Article content Article content But the Legendary Roots Crew capped off what is arguably one of the strongest post-COVID mainstage evening lineups, after solid sets by Taj Mahal, Goldie Boutilier and Danielle Ponder (who would have made a stunning headliner in her own right). More on them shortly. Article content It's a testament to the showmanship of the Philadelphia rap collective and back catalogue that 11 years without a new album (front man Black Thought's solo work notwithstanding) hasn't dampened fan enthusiasm or an extensive musical well from which to draw. Article content But from the jump-off, it was more than 90 minutes of non-stop funk, soul and rap, Black Thought's machine-gun cadence ably supported by the band, with each member getting their own time to shine. Special shoutout to saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith and trumpeter Dave Guy, who round out the band's sound and gave the whole show a vintage soul feel. Article content The band bounced between '90s classics like The Next Movement and aughts hits, including Here I Come, interspersed with throwback soul and funk classics, including Jungle Boogie, Apache and Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up. Article content Made it to @edmfolkfest! With the @theroots — Chris Curtola 🇨🇦 (@chriscurtola) August 10, 2025 Article content Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song and The White Stripe's Seven Nation Army (the latter led by rumbling low end courtesy sousaphone specialist Tuba Gooding Jr.) Article content Article content The set seemingly peaked with fan favourite You Got Me, featuring an extended 'guitar gently weeping' solo from Captain Kirk Douglas, before really peaking with hit The Seed (2.0). Article content And at the centre of it all, while Black Thought was the driving energy of the set, band leader and drummer Questlove looked like he was out for a leisurely stroll, calmly laying down the groove with a relaxed smile pasted to his face. Article content For those in attendance, this will be a Folk Fest set that won't soon be forgotten. Article content As mentioned, though The Roots were the headliner, the return visit from Danielle Ponder proved that the former lawyer is not just a rising star, but a headliner-calibre performer. Article content With powerhouse vocals that could turn on a time between heartbroken tenderness and soaring wails, Ponder treated the Folk Fest crowd to a number of new songs from her forthcoming album.
American Military News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Kool & the Gang's Michael Sumler dies in car crash at 71
Michael Sumler, who spent years working with the venerable soul-funk group Kool & the Gang as both an onstage hype man and a behind-the-scenes stylist, died Sunday in a car crash in Georgia. He was 71. His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the band. 11Alive, a TV station in Atlanta, reported that Sumler was killed after his car collided with another vehicle as he was traveling on Veterans Memorial Highway in Georgia's Cobb County. Sumler, who was known as Chicago Mike, had performed Sunday evening in Mableton, Georgia, with the group Con Funk Shun, whose Michael Cooper paid tribute to Sumler on social media. 'We had no idea that Sunday night's Love's Train would be your last ride,' Cooper wrote. 'Rest in heavenly piece.' In its statement, Kool & the Gang described Sumler as 'our longtime wardrobe valet' and said he worked with the band from 2000 to 2015, 'making sure the guys looked their best on stage every night.' Sumler 'also hyped the crowd with his energy and dance moves at the top of the show,' the group added. Known for hits including 'Ladies Night,' 'Jungle Boogie,' 'Get Down on It' and 'Celebration,' Kool & the Gang was formed in the mid-1960s in Jersey City, New Jersey, by brothers Robert Bell (who went by Kool) and Ronald Khalis Bell along with several neighborhood pals. Khalis Bell died in 2020; George 'Funky' Brown, the band's founding drummer, died in 2023. Last year the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which called Kool & the Gang 'the most sampled group in hip-hop history.' Among the countless songs that have borrowed elements of Kool & the Gang's music: Nas' 'N.Y. State of Mind,' Mase's 'Feel So Good,' Luniz's 'I Got 5 on It,' the Wu-Tang Clan's 'Method Man' and 'Summertime' by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. In 2021, Kool & the Gang became the first act to perform for a full-capacity crowd at the Hollywood Bowl after a lengthy and unprecedented closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on Sumler's survivors wasn't immediately available. ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Star
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Kool & The Gang's Michael Sumler dies in car crash at 71
In its statement, Kool & The Gang described Michael Sumler (far left) as 'our longtime wardrobe valet' and said he worked with the band from 2000 to 2015. Photos: Facebook Michael Sumler, who spent years working with the venerable soul-funk group Kool & The Gang as both an onstage hype man and a behind-the-scenes stylist, died Sunday in a car crash in Georgia. He was 71. His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the band. 11Alive, a TV station in Atlanta, reported that Sumler was killed after his car collided with another vehicle as he was travelling on Veterans Memorial Highway in Georgia's Cobb County. Sumler, who was known as Chicago Mike, had performed Sunday evening in Mableton, Georgia, with the group Con Funk Shun, whose Michael Cooper paid tribute to Sumler on social media. "We had no idea that Sunday night's Love's Train would be your last ride," Cooper wrote. "Rest in heavenly piece." In its statement, Kool & The Gang described Sumler as "our longtime wardrobe valet" and said he worked with the band from 2000 to 2015, "making sure the guys looked their best on stage every night." Sumler "also hyped the crowd with his energy and dance moves at the top of the show," the group added. Known for hits including Ladies Night, Jungle Boogie, Get Down On It and Celebration , Kool & The Gang was formed in the mid-1960s in Jersey City, New Jersey, by brothers Robert Bell (who went by Kool) and Ronald Khalis Bell along with several neighbourhood pals. Last year the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which called Kool & The Gang "the most sampled group in hip-hop history." Information on Sumler's survivors wasn't immediately available. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
Los Angeles Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Kool & the Gang's Michael Sumler dies in car crash at 71
Michael Sumler, who spent years working with the venerable soul-funk group Kool & the Gang as both an onstage hype man and a behind-the-scenes stylist, died Sunday in a car crash in Georgia. He was 71. His death was confirmed by a spokesman for the band. 11Alive, a TV station in Atlanta, reported that Sumler was killed after his car collided with another vehicle as he was traveling on Veterans Memorial Highway in Georgia's Cobb County. Sumler, who was known as Chicago Mike, had performed Sunday evening in Mableton, Ga., with the group Con Funk Shun, whose Michael Cooper paid tribute to Sumler on social media. 'We had no idea that Sunday night's Love's Train would be your last ride,' Cooper wrote. 'Rest in heavenly piece.' In its statement, Kool & the Gang described Sumler as 'our longtime wardrobe valet' and said he worked with the band from 2000 to 2015, 'making sure the guys looked their best on stage every night.' Sumler 'also hyped the crowd with his energy and dance moves at the top of the show,' the group added. Known for hits including 'Ladies Night,' 'Jungle Boogie,' 'Get Down on It' and 'Celebration,' Kool & the Gang was formed in the mid-1960s in Jersey City, N.J., by brothers Robert Bell (who went by Kool) and Ronald Khalis Bell along with several neighborhood pals. Khalis Bell died in 2020; George 'Funky' Brown, the band's founding drummer, died in 2023. Last year the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which called Kool & the Gang 'the most sampled group in hip-hop history.' Among the countless songs that have borrowed elements of Kool & the Gang's music: Nas' 'N.Y. State of Mind,' Mase's 'Feel So Good,' Luniz's 'I Got 5 on It,' the Wu-Tang Clan's 'Method Man' and 'Summertime' by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. In 2021, Kool & the Gang became the first act to perform for a full-capacity crowd at the Hollywood Bowl after a lengthy and unprecedented closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Information on Sumler's survivors wasn't immediately available.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iconic '60s Musician Dies in Car Accident
Michael Sumler, a longtime member of the influential R&B group Kool & the Gang has been reportedly killed in a car crash this past Saturday, as reported by Newsweek. According to the publication, the musician was 71-years-old. More popularly known under the jazzy moniker "Chicago Mike," Sumler was best known for appearing as an integral member of Kool & the Gang from 1985 onwards. Initially, Sumler had been brought into the group to serve as a stylist and choreographer, before eventually playing openers for the band and, ultimately, providing backup vocals. Over the weekend, Sumler was driving in Atlanta, Georgia's Veterans Memorial Highway when he struck another car near Buckner Road. As per local outlets, the musician died at the scene of the accident. Various personalities within the music world have offered their sympathies for Sumler's family, commemorating the funk musician's achievements in the annals of R&B musical history. Sumler's friend, Song Source Music Group's Adrian Meeks, offered his sentiments, telling Fox 5 Atlanta that Sumler was "always jovial, always just kind, always wanting to make sure everybody else around him was good." Similarly, the '60s funk band Con Funk Shun wrote on X, "We had no idea that Sunday night's Love's Train would be your last," of Sumler's passing. "Rest in heavenly peace." Originally formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964, Kool & the Gang has often described as one of the most revolutionary music groups within either the R&B, soul, funk or disco genres. Initially breaking through in the industry with hit singles like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging," the band eventually rose to new heights with the release of their albums Ladies' Night in 1979 and Celebrate! and Emergency in the early 1980s. In addition to winning two Grammy Awards throughout their tenure together, they've also earned a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 and an honorary star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Iconic '60s Musician Dies in Car Accident first appeared on Parade on May 28, 2025
