Bulk

IN THE FALL OF 2005, GUITARIST RICH FERRIS, BASSIST FRANCO GONZALEZ, AND PERCUSSIONIST RYAN SHULTZABERGER JAMMED TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME AND GOOD THINGS HAPPENED. FUELED BY THEIR LOVE FOR GROUPS LIKE THE METERS, FUNKADELIC, AND OF COURSE JAMES BROWN AND THE J.B.'S, THEY IMMEDIATELY STARTED WRITING MATERIAL AND HAD A THREE SONG DEMO WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THAT INITIAL MEETING. THEY THEN SEARCHED FOR A DRUMMER AND STARTED BOOKING GIGS, PLAYING THEIR DEBUT SHOWS AT JUPITER BEER IN BERKELEY AND THE BOOM BOOM ROOM IN SAN FRANCISCO TO VERY RESPONSIVE CROWDS. NOT TOO SHABBY FOR A BAND WITH A TINY FOLLOWING AND NO ALBUM!



THE BAND KEPT WRITING MATERIAL EVERY WEEK, PLAYING WITH VARIOUS DRUMMERS AND HORN SECTIONS FROM THE BAY AREA'S THRIVING FUNK AND JAZZ SCENE BUT SOON REALIZED THAT THEY NEEDED AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN FUNK AND SOUL MUSIC: THE ORGAN. THEY MET KEYBOARDIST CRAIG SCHNEIDER, A MASTER OF THE B-3 ORGAN AND RHODES ELECTRIC PIANO, WHOSE WRITING ABILITIES PROPELLED THE BAND'S SOUND THROUGH THE ROOF. ALSO AT THIS TIME, THEY SETTLED ON THEIR PERMANENT DRUMMER, CURTIS CIRILLO, WHOSE EXPERIENCE AND SOLID PLAYING GAVE THEM THE FOUNDATION THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. WITH THE CORE LINE UP COMPLETE, THEY WERE ABLE TO EXPAND THEIR SOUND AND KEEP THE FUNK VIBE GOING AS WELL AS VENTURE INTO MORE SOULFUL IDEAS INSPIRED BY ARTISTS FROM THE STAX AND MOTOWN RECORD LABELS.



AFTER FIVE YEARS OF CONSTANT GIGGING AT MANY OF THE BAY AREA'S PREMIER LIVE MUSIC VENUES AND PLAYING WITH AN INCREDIBLE ROSTER OF TALENTED MUSICIANS INCLUDING VOCALISTS SALLY GREEN AND JOE POWELL, HORN PLAYERS HERMANN LARA AND ELY SAMUELS, AND PERCUSSIONISTS LOGAN SCHUTTS AND KWESI AJEMON, THEY WERE ABLE TO FINALLY SETTLE ON TWO NEW PERMANENT MEMBERS TO THE GROUP. SAXOPHONIST JEREMY MCCORMICK AND TRUMPETER BRENDAN LIU ARE NOT ONLY SEASONED PLAYERS, BUT HAVE ALREADY CONTRIBUTED TO THE WRITING PROCESS OF A BAND THAT BOASTS OVER THIRTY ORIGINAL TUNES AS WELL AS MANY COVER SONGS.



WITH THREE SELF PRODUCED RELEASES UNDER THEIR BELT AND OVER FIVE YEARS LIVE PLAYING AND RECORDING EXPERIENCE, BULK IS READY FOR THE NEXT STEP IN ITS EVOLUTION BY CONTINUING TO PLAY LIVE LOCALLY BUT ALSO REGIONALLY, SHARING BILLS WITH BIGGER NAME ACTS WHICH HAVE BEEN PLAYING THE THEATRE AND FESTIVAL CIRCUIT. BULK'S BRAND OF RAW FUNK AND SOUL IS ORIGINAL YET AUTHENTIC, AND IN KEEPING WITH TRADITION, ALWAYS SERVED UP WITH A GENEROUS HELPING OF GREASE.