Adam Deitch, percussionist from the funk band Lettuce, spoke with WYSO music director Juliet Fromholt ahead of the band’s two upcoming performances in southwest Ohio. In the interview, Adam talked about touring with roots reggae band Steel Pulse. “They’re legends,” he said, “their first record was in 1975 or 1976; our first record was around 1997.” Touring with the Steel Pulse, he said, exposes both bands’ audiences to a new style of music.
Lettuce has collaborated with a number of legends over the years. Juliet asked Adam how he balances receiving influence of funk masters, while making an original contribution to the genre:
“Being around people like Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and members of the Meters—it changed everything for us. We’re so blessed to be mentored by the greats of the genre of funk. Our job is to add something to it; for us, it’s bringing that 90s Hip Hop and that improvisational element, like Weather Report or Miles Davis, into the sound.”
Adam also talked with Juliet about visiting Bootsy Collins’s Cincinnati recording studio, and about making the band’s forthcoming album, which he calls his “favorite record yet.”
Lettuce will perform at PNC Pavilion in Cincinnati on July 7, and at Rose Music Center in Huber Heights on July. Tickets, and more information about the band, is available at www.lettucefunk.com.
