Willie Wisely & Tommy Barbarella Organ Combo

“reckless and super high energy, but also soulful.” – Music In MN

A new show inspired by icons Ray Charles, Brian Auger, Booker T., Georgie Fame & Graham Bond. Willie & Tommy join up with trap kit genie Dave Anania, string bass pusher Jeremy Boettcher & wunderkind saxophonist/flutist Nelson Devereaux. Here, they wade into vintage covers and Wisely originals alike. Crushed blue notes, cigarillo glissando smears and Latin-stabbed staccato sine waves of the golden age of hipped-out, juice-headed, shape-in-a-drape night club scenery. The mice will play.

Willie Wisely mixes outsized stadium-rock showmanship and vintage clothes-horse tendencies with lyrical, personal and true songs. Moreover, he is that rare bird where you’ll leave the show feeling like you’ve got a new best friend. He is among the most distinctive songwriters of his generation, with eight studio albums to his credit. Additionally, he has seasoned his talent with decades of touring, to Japan, Europe and back again. He became a resident of Los Angeles’s songwriting bastion Laurel Canyon, composing film scores and even some unexpected acting appearances. In 2018, Wisely returned to his native Twin Cities giving yet more time to his music and family. Also, he relished being a part of one of the country’s most richly artistic scenes again. His latest studio album is 2019’s Face the Sun, produced by John Fields. He also crafted Wisely’s celebrated ‘start here’ 90’s albums She and Turbosherbet.

Tommy Barbarella is one of Minneapolis’s most active keyboard players and beyond. His work with Prince’s New Power Generation (1991-96) put him on the map, and his playing with regional funk/soul favorites Greazy Meal cemented his reputation as a go-to funk and pop keyboardist. Recently he has performed with Miley Cyrus, Nick Jonas and a reunited NPG.

Recommended for fans of Booker T. & the MGs, Ray Charles, Brian Auger and Georgie Fame.

LEARN MORE: https://wiselymusic.com/