Top Aussie blues/funk/soul band heading here

Kings & Associates is heading for Napier to play at the Cabana in early January.

Kings & Associates, one of the highest flying neo blues/soul/funk bands hitting the stage these days, is heading for Napier's Cabana next year as part of a short promotional tour.

It is something of a coup for the Cabana, and a treat for the Bay's blues brigade, as the Adelaide-based band has hit the musical headlines recently with a string of highly acclaimed outings.

They gave Memphis a real good shake-up by making the semi-finals of the International Blues Challenge with a blisteringly fine performance.

Touches of funk, soul and gospel — touches of soaring organ and scorching guitar, with the performance nicely underlining the release of their second album Tales of a Rich Girl which was recorded in Los Angeles with Jim Scott and mixed by Vance Powell in Nashville — both of them equally acclaimed in the music business with a string of Grammy Awards behind them.

The album hit the top of the Australian Blues radio charts and got to number 15 on the International Roots Radio Review.

Their Memphis show was described as amalgamating blues and boogie-flavoured jams "and good old rock and roll" and left everyone impressed.

One critic was blown away by vocalist Angie Portolesi's voice which he said "emanates a raw, searing energy of full-spectrum dominance".

A voice described as reminding him of a hybrid of Gwen Stefani and Debbie Harry.

"Meld the two together, add muscular resonance and magnetic projection and you've got an idea of the lush power of Portolesi's voice, which is so buff it almost hurts."

The song Evergreen, from the album, was described as "totally lit" and drew a rapturous response from the US audiences, and audiences everywhere for that matter.

Kings & Associates will be working the Napier and New Zealand gigs into what is already promising to be a busy year for the band.

"Locally on the live front we're booked in for several major festivals in Australia for 2018 including Womadelaide, the Fringe and Echuca Winter Blues fests," band member Steve Portolesi said.

Kings & Associates will be playing the Cabana on Friday, March 2.