What happens ‘in the room’ describes the contributions of writers, producers and players all trying to catch lightning in a bottle, but the unspoken secret of this phrase is that: the smaller the room, the smaller the bottle you need. And a dorm room is about as small as they come (and often comes with at least a few empty bottles). The thing about being a jazz student is that such virtuosic musicianship requires spending all day ‘shedding,’ which is to say, workshopping every change of every standard to perfection and beyond, and then inviting all your friends into your tiny dorm room to bust out the good stuff all night long. The good stuff in this case being the funk, soul, and pop compositions that moves butts as well as minds. Thus goes the origin of Seattle seven-piece heavy soul ensemble The Dip, who recorded their debut EP from a college bedroom in 2013, and have since been judiciously catching lightning in progressively larger rooms. Watch these pacific northwest kids bring the spirit of Motown to yo’ town, channelling an encyclopaedic knowledge of the greatest of blues and R&B in new and lively arrangements with contemporary energy and vibrant tonality. Come take The Dip, the water is plenty warm.
Biography by Liam Prost