Ikebe Shakedown

Ikebe Shakedown, a seven-piece Afro-soul ensemble, develop a distinctive approach to revitalizing classic Afro-beat and psychedelic soul traditions while also drawing inspiration from Western composers such as Ennio Morricone. Lushly arranged, funky instrumentals with raw, vintage-sounding production values appear throughout releases including the 2014 album Stone by Stone.

The group formed in Brooklyn in 2008 and adopted its name from a Nigerian boogie album. Horn-driven instrumentals defined the band’s sound, which originally featured trombonist Nadav Nirenberg, trumpet player Jason Colby, saxophonist Mike Buckley, guitarist Robin Schmidt, bassist Vince Chiarito, and percussionists Barnaby Alter and Dave Bourla. Several members divided their schedules between Ikebe Shakedown and other deep soul revival projects such as Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and the Monophonics, while additional scene musicians regularly augmented the lineup both live and on recordings. Extensive North American touring has marked the band’s career, and its songs have appeared in multiple television shows and advertisements.

The 2009 Hard Steppin’ EP on Colemine Records marked the group’s debut, followed in 2011 by a self-titled full-length issued through Ubiquity. Stone by Stone arrived in 2014 with a modestly expanded psychedelic production aesthetic. The 2017 full-length The Way Home represented a return to Colemine, after which the fourth album, Kings Left Behind, surfaced in 2019 and entered the Billboard Jazz chart at number two.