Funk and R&B group Turkuaz will kick off the fall leg of their 2018 tour with a show at the Westcott Theater. The tour will promote the band’s latest studio LP, “Life In The City,” which was released last week.

Dave Brandwein, Turkuaz’s frontman and guitarist, said he is excited to come back to Syracuse, one of his favorite places to play.

“We’ve been playing in Syracuse for a long time.” Brandwein said. “It should shape up to be a great show.”

“Life In The City” is Turkuaz’s seventh studio album, featuring a mix of alternative rock with classic funk and R&B. From the heavy-hitting title track to danceable numbers such as “Superstatic” and “If I Ever Fall Asleep,” “Life In The City” is a nonstop funk train with memorable melodies and soaring harmonies, courtesy of the band’s female vocalists Sammi Garett and Shira Elias.

Drummer Michelangelo Carubba’s stone cold percussion drives the band, while bassist Taylor Shell lays down fat grooves throughout the album’s 43-minute runtime. Their skills really shine through on “Lady Lovely,” as the tune’s gargling bass line and snappy drumbeat serve as a solid foundation.

“Life In The City” is an album that suggests just how far Turkuaz has come over the course of a decade.

The history of the band can be traced back to Brandwein and Shell, who were classmates and friends studying at Berklee College of Music. The two aspiring musicians found that they had similar tastes and began collaborating and producing demos. The music they created received such a positive response that they were chosen to perform at one of the school’s showcases.

But there was one glaring issue standing in the two artists’ way.

“We could not reproduce what we had recorded with two people in a live setting,” Brandwein said. “We had to get a band together.”

Fortunately for Brandwein and Shell, they were able to find the right musicians to play their songs in time for the showcase. They were also able to find their perfect name from a very convenient source.

“When Taylor and I would work on the music, we would take breaks and get food from this Turkish market right across from where we were living,” Brandwein said.

Its name was “Turkuaz,” and the pair used it for their showcase performance. Bandwein said the “name stuck with us ever since.”

After graduating, the band moved to Brooklyn and played clubs. They built a following for their modern take on funk and eventually had a touring lineup in 2012.

When asked to describe his influences, Brandwein mentioned taking inspiration from the British bands that dominated the American music industry during the 1960s and ‘70s. Notable artists such as Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, The Who’s Pete Townshend and Jeff Beck all served as role models for Brandwein as a guitarist.

While one might think that managing a group of nine musicians, each with their own distinct style and background, can bring its hefty share of challenges and clashes, this is not the case for Brandwein, as he takes pride in his role as frontman.

“It’s really refreshing,” Brandwein said. “We’re all a group of nine that draws from an eclectic pool of influences. I think that variety allows us to come up with so many new and fresh ideas. All of our goal is to make the best song possible when we’re working on it.”

Turkuaz will perform at the Westcott Theater on Oct. 4 at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Butcher Brown — a five-piece instrumental jazz quintet from Richmond, Virginia — will open the concert. For more information about tickets and event details, visit the website.

Published on October 1, 2018 at 1:47 am