Founded by saxophonist Ben Mendes and drummer Toon Oomen, Dutch retro soul band The Eminent Stars was bred from a shared love of the sounds of New Orleans in the 60s and 70s: Dr. John, Freddie King, The Meters and many more! Just mix up some soul, rhythm and blues, funk and blues and there you have The Eminent Stars formula: it’s danceable, intriguing, vibrant and fresh!

Various years ago drummer Toon Oomen decided to live and study in New Orleans to capture the unique vibe and sound of the region. When he came back to Amsterdam he wanted to share this musical richness and found a great companion in saxophonist and producer Ben Mendes. They started intensely working on crafting their own unique sound and composing original material. Soon great American singer-songwriter Bruce James joined the team, and later other marvelous vocalists such as Imelda, Lana Gordon and Steffen Morrison jumped on board as well.

In 2012 the moment arrived when Toon & Ben planned a recording session in a rusty old farm in the middle of the French Ardennes. These recordings formed the basis for their debut album “Sittin’ In”: all live, together in one big old dusty room, using all vintage equipment in order to capture the authentic sounds & vibes of the songs. Released in 2014 on Tramp Records, first full-length “Sittin’ In” made it possible for The Eminent Stars to tour throughout The Netherlands with great success. The response of their audiences was overwhelming and the international reviews were raving too.

3 years after the launch of their debut, The Eminent Stars followed up with a double-sider 45 of two unheard songs, “Bar Shift” / “Brown Thang”, which hinted at the recording of new material. But it took 2 more years before new album “Bumpin’ On“ was announced, out in November 2019 and sure to make many a hungry ear happy!

 

For more:
The Eminent Stars’ website
The Eminent Stars on facebook

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