Amp Fiddler

Detroit music staple brings his show on the road

By ELI GOLDSTEIN

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Joseph "Amp" Fiddler has been doing the funk and soul and music thing since before most of today's candy-coated R&B artists were even born. Dude's resume reads like a who's who of the last 30 years of American music: He toured with the Enchantments, played keys with Parliament/Funkadelic for 10 years, performed with Prince, taught J Dilla how to use a sampler, played on Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and collaborated with some of house and techno's guiding lights. But it's as a solo artist that Detroit native Fiddler has established a musical spectrum almost as deep as the steady stream of innovative talent that has rolled out of the city that birthed him—like cars flying off its assembly lines.

Fiddler is quick to acknowledge the Motor City's role in his development: "Not only was there excitement on the radio and the excitement of Motown, but just being involved with people that were into all kinds of music," he says. "There was a lot of fire in the air, a lot of clubs, a lot of DJs, a lot of excitement about electronic music, a lot of people were buying synthesizers and drum machines and experimenting."

These influences shine through on his recent long-player Afro Strut, which, like Back to Black from Amy Winehouse, is based more on the gritty live sounds of yesterday's rhythm & blues than the glitzy studio sound of today. Afro Strut also explores the future sound of Afro-beat, funk and jazz, while sprinkling in techno-informed synthesizers amidst an array of intricate beats. All major advances from his 2004 debut, Waltz Of A Ghetto Fly, which took a path of narrower, neo-soul with house music path.

The range of collaborators featured on the new album illustrates Fiddler's new approach. The opening track, "Faith," is a Sly Stone influenced soul-burner produced by Raphael Saadiq (of Tony! Toni! Toné! and Lucy Pearl fame). Fiddler follows it up with "If I Don't," a duet with UK soul/jazz darling Corrine Bailey Rae that features a ragtime rhythm guitar, clarinet and piano over a futuristic broken-beat, and is entirely ready to get a dancefloor moving in either era. Not that working with other musicians is new to Fiddler. "I think it's just that we have a bond or something in common musically, most of ''em are my friends and we just love music," says Fiddler. "But it's not like where we're just going to put me with this producer just to sell records."

Fiddler also makes sure to keep his band members involved in the recording process. "Most of my band is on the record," he says. "I still try to keep it a group environment when I'm recording by including the musicians I'm working with on a record in some way. That way when it comes time to tour they know the songs and it's easier to jam when we have to get the arrangements together. For this tour my band is a trio, so I gotta work harder and play more instruments, but it's working out pretty good."

Add band-leading skills to Fiddler's touring experience, a knack for collaboration and keyboard, vocal and production talent and you have a recipe for wicked-good live shows. Fiddler and his band haven't disappointed yet, garnering massive acclaim for their first US tour and recent worldwide jaunt. With a whole new repertoire of jams to rock, expect this trip to be his best yet.

AMP FIDDLER

WITH K.C. HALLET

AND DJ BRYNMORE

TUE. 3.18

MIDDLE EAST UPSTAIRS

480 MASS. AVE.

CAMBRIDGE

617.864.3278

9PM/18+/$10

MIDEASTCLUB.COM

AMPFIDDLER.COM