Lady Sunshine and the X-Band

Lady Sunshine and the X -Band was formed in 1994 and has been causing quite a stir since then. The Stax-Volt legacy is definitely alive and kickin' with these players! This group is a product of the 'Motor City' and is a reflection of the very essence of Detroit - Emotion, Fire, Pride, and Soul. The LSX Band has had the honor to share the stage with Blues/R&B notables Koko Taylor, Bobby Rush, Little Milton, Roomful of Blues, War, Liquid Soul, Sir Mack Rice, Spyder Turner,The Chicago Blues Legends-PineTop Perkins, Willie Big Eyes Smith, James Cotton, Carrie and Lurrie Bell, Lonnie Baker Brooks, Hubert Sumlin, Bob Margolin, Lil ED and the Blues Imperial's, Maurice John Vaughn, James Smith, Bobbie Rogers, Maurice Davis, Tommy Castro et al. to rave reviews.
Lady Sunshine was born to sing the blues. Born on a plantation near the Mississippi Delta in West Helena, Arkansas, Lady Sunshine grew up singing Gospel music as a little girl and is definitely the "Real Deal". Sunshine is the consumate entertainer and that deep soulful southern hunger that drives her is apparent both on and off the stage through her heartfelt originals and Down-To-Earth demeanor. She moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1975 and began performing professionally in genres such as Blues, R&B, Gospel, Soul and Jazz.
The rhythm section of Rick Humesky, Kito Pardo, Joe Aranda and Tom Fosselman is a rock steady groove machine with such a deep pocket that no matter what style you ask for, be it Blues, Funk, R&B, Sould, Rock, Jazz or Latin, you'll get a groove that is authentic, precise and pumpin'!
"The X-Satiable Horns" are comprised of Patricio Padilla, David G. Maki II and Ken Ferry. These cats are powerful, air-TIGHT, horn phenomes accustomed to playing as a compact and symbiotic unit in addition to being virtuostic soloists in their own right. Their "Phat" sound has been described as a fusion of the Memphis Horns, James Brown Horns and Tower of Power Horns all rolled into one Unique and "XSATIABLE" package.

Blues Bytes Back Issues --- Mark E. Gallo - May 2007 Issue

Lady Sunshine and the X -Band took top honors at the Motor City Blues Challenge of 2004. They almost repeated the fete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee in spring ‘05, where they were judged to be the second best band in the land. A listen to Live At Last (LSX Records) makes clear that these were well-deserved honors. This band is simply fantastic.
Lady Sunshine and the fellas have been fixtures on the metro Detroit scene for a decade. This live set, recorded at the Firefly Club in Ann Arbor, with three cuts from Memphis Smoke in Royal Oak, is on fire from the bell. Behind Geno Leverett’s thick James Jamerson-style bass intro, Lady Sunshine sets the scene for her tale of “Man Trouble” in front of Slick Rick Humesky’s funky fat guitar and the great X-satiable Horns (Patrick Padilla, tenor; David G. Maki II, alto and bari; and Ken Ferry’s trumpet). Add propulsive drumming from Kito Pardo and killer keys from Tom Fosselman and the sum is a band as full of chops as fire.
Lady Sunshine’s original tunes fit her considerable vocal range to a tee. “Somebody’s Tippin’,” a classic southern soul tune out of the ZZ Hill tradition, the soulful “Losin’ Track of Time,” with greasy organ backing, the ultra funky horn driven “Mr. Man” (“I’m gonna tell your wife on you”), “My Husband Don’t Love Me,” (“he only wants what’s under my dress”) with call and response from the band, the pensive “I’m Just So Tired,” the flavorful (you’ll have to listen!) “Freaky Tonight” and her signature “Thang For You,” a tune that would have done Otis Redding proud, are superbly composed and performed, marking Lady Sunshine as far more than a local treasure.
This is the work of an artist and a first rate band of musicians that deserves to step up to the national stage. Somebody out there needs to pay attention and snatch this band up. This is one of the standout recordings of 2007.
--- Mark E. Gallo

Ann Arbor News' Roger Lelievre - January 30th 2005

Lady Sunshine and the X -Band formed in 1994. They've performed across the state and region and have opened for blues/R&B legends such as Koko Taylor, Bobby Rush, Little Milton and War.
Although she does not read or write music, she composes all of her own songs. "I create the music and (the band) builds around it and makes it what it is. I can hear the horn lines and the bass lines in my head and I can tell them 'play this' or whatever. I write all the words and arrange it how I want it to go...then we put it together and we work on it till we get it right."
Although she's never received any formal music training, that doesn't mean she doesn't want to. "I need to go to school before I get too old and I can't think,"she said with a laugh. "I would like to take music theory so I could at least write down the keys, or take a little piano so I could write down chord changes, write out the charts. When it's all said and done, when I can't sing any more, I want to be a producer and help other around here."

Videos Of LSX