The night before Con Brio headed into the studio to record their first full-length album, 23-year-old Ziek McCarter had a dream. In it, the singer received a visit from his father, an Army veteran who died at the hands of East Texas police in 2011. His father delivered an invitation: Come with me to paradise.
McCarter woke up with a song in his bones. “It was one of the most spiritual moments of my life,” he recalls. It was up to him, he knew, to rise above injustice, and to perform in a way that lifted up those around him as well. To make Con Brio’s music a place of serenity, compassion — even euphoria — right here on earth.
Paradise, which saw the San Francisco band teaming with legendary producer Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys, Beck, Seu Jorge), is the result: a declaration of independence you can dance to; an assertion of what can happen when the human spirit is truly free.
Formed in 2013, Con Brio is the offspring of seven musicians with diverse backgrounds but a shared love for the vibrant Bay Area funk and psychedelic-soul sound pioneered by groups like Sly & the Family Stone.
Con Brio has been gaining fans wherever they perform and have been lauded as one of the best new live bands in America. The front-man Zeik McCarter has an infectious style and energy which lend comparisons to Michael Jackson, Prince and James Brown and they are performing at a variety of festivals this year, including Byron Bay Blues, Bonnaroo, Montreal Jazz, N. Sea Jazz, Lollapalooza and Outside Lands.
See the guys live in London on July 12th at Borderline where they will be performing tracks from their forthcoming album Paradise which is sheduled for release July 15th 2016. Meanwhile, check out their video for ‘Free and Brave‘.
