The New Mastersounds formed in 1999 and started making records shortly after that. Ten Years On in 2009 the band managed to make their sixth studio album, in the midst of their busiest touring schedule to date.
As with previous records, Ten Years On presents an impressive range of grooves and styles, all sheltering from the grey English drizzle under a big jazz-funk umbrella. There's the familiar vintage-sounding production, courtesy of guitarist and bandleader <b>Eddie Roberts</b>. The core of the band is the same as on 2008's Plug & Play, with <b>Simon Allen</b> on drums, <b>Pete Shand</b> on Fender P-bass, and <b>Joe Tatton</b> on organ, piano and various other vintage keyboards
The album has guests aplenty, some of them sending in their performances by email from distant shores. <b>JD73</b> plays Rhodes on Dusty Groove, lending it a distinctly Headhuntersish sound. Seattle-based sax experimentalist <b>Skerik</b> adds dark, lush textures to the eight-minute soundtrack opus OOOM. Fellow Leeds luminary <b>Sam Bell</b> brings the percussion to Eddie's Benson-eque disco-jazz on Cielo while Madrid-based <b>Chip Wickham</b> toots a mean flute on Chocolate Chip.