When guitarist Eddie Roberts and drummer Simon Allen launched the New Mastersounds in Leeds, England, in 1999, it never occurred to them that the band would thrive for more than a quarter decade. Growing out of an earlier band called the Mastersounds, their soul/funk/jazz hybrid was an immediate hit in clubs throughout the UK. And thanks to the group’s winning, signature sound—rounded out by bassist Pete Shand and organist Joe Tatton—the New Mastersounds gained a loyal following thrilled by dynamic live shows and top-notch studio releases.
In the group’s early years, the New Mastersounds collaborated with a number of big names: Corinne Bailey Rae sang on 2003’s “Your Love is Mine,” and the group cut a live album with soul jazz legend Lou Donaldson in 2004. But the band remained primarily a UK phenomenon. “We never thought we’d play in America,” Roberts says, “let alone play in America for 21 years.” But they did, starting in ’04, becoming a hit with jazz and jam band fans alike.
These days, Roberts is based in Denver, while the other members of the group are at home across the Atlantic. Shand lives on Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands off Spain’s south coast. Tatton is based in Manchester, England. “And Simon is still in Leeds, where the band started,” Roberts says.
That spread-out quality means that it’s a logistical challenge to assemble the group for recording dates and live shows, much less multi-city tours. And so after 25 years, the New Mastersounds are—after a fashion—calling it quits. “We’ve decided that it’s better to retire gracefully than continue to slog ourselves on the road,” Roberts explains. “Pete is 64. I’m 54, and the others are shortly behind me,” he says. “After 26 years on the road, we’ve paid our dues.”
But the band’s current tour—dubbed “Ta Ta for Now”—doesn’t quite spell the end for the popular foursome. “It doesn’t mean that we’re not going to play anymore,” Roberts says. It’s simply that the infrastructure required to make touring a going concern for the band requires at least 200 live dates annually. “And that’s not something that we can do at this point in our lives and career,” Roberts says. “It’s not like we hate each other,” he says with a chuckle. “It’s really that we’re retiring from touring.”
Roberts clarifies that the New Mastersounds aren’t quitting as a band. “We’ll probably play some shows in Menorca every summer, because Pete’s there; we can go hang out with him,” Roberts says with a smile. “And we may do the odd show here and there.”
Recording and album releases will continue, Roberts promises. In fact, immediately before the band’s date at Moe’s Alley, they’ll be cutting a new album at the newly reopened Record Plant in Sausalito. “We’re going to rehearse a bit, cut some new tunes and get some new material to play,” he says. “And we’ll get a couple of guests to sing with us.”
Future albums from the group are likely to be released by Color Red Records, the label Roberts founded in 2018. In addition to his role as the band’s guitarist, he also runs the label and manages other artists. Color Red has released titles from the Polyrhythmics, Breakestra, Geoff Mann and many others; in less than a decade the label has put out about 70 albums. “We released a single a week for the first three years,” Roberts says.
The label’s Vinyl Club program has served as a successful launching pad for many acts. “We put out a brand-new original album every month,” Roberts explains. “That really gives us strength in numbers; we know we’re going to sell a certain amount on the first day, which makes it an attractive proposal for independent artists. It’s a really good platform for making new music.”
Building on the Color Red Vinyl Club’s stateside success, Robert has his eye on expansion. “We want to launch it in Europe,” he says. “And my grand scheme is to get it going in Japan as well. It’s a tricky market, but I think it could work.”
Even with the New Mastersounds winding down their touring schedule, Roberts is busier than ever. Beyond Color Red and management duties, he’s active with his other band, the Lucky Strokes. He’s also scheduled to cut an album in New Orleans with Robert Walter and Stanton Moore. And in between all that, Roberts—a licensed sea captain—leads musical cruises in the Mediterranean, joined by musical co-hosts like Walter and New Mastersounds bandmate Joe Tatton. “We charter a 50-foot catamaran and take people out from Croatia; we do six or eight trips a year,” Roberts says.
But right now Eddie Roberts is focused on the upcoming recording session and the Moe’s Alley show that follows it—the very first night of a 24-city tour. “We may even go into the studio that morning,” Roberts says. “So we’re going to be fresh, and we’re going to be on.”
Leavening the bittersweet news of his band closing its touring years, Roberts shares some tantalizing news: “I expect that Santa Cruz will be the first audience to hear a bunch of brand-new material.”
The New Mastersounds play at 8pm on Oct. 23 at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $40.61. moesalley.com
