Rustee Allen profile picture

Rustee Allen

About Me

There is no funk like swamp funk, and you don’t know funk unless you have heard Rustee Allen. Born in Monroe, Louisiana and raised in Oakland, California’s Sobrante Park neighborhood, Rustee has been the backbone of funk for the past 30 plus years. He has performed or recorded with all of the heavyweights; Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton, Bobby Womack, Lenny Williams, Robin Trower, Motown wonders the Temptations and the list goes on. Finally, we get to experience Rustee on his own with his first solo debut Psychic Change.Rustee’s illustrious career started at the tender age of 16 when he realized that in order to make it in this world, you have got to work. He borrowed a little black mascara, drew himself a fuller mustache to appear older, slung his bass over his back and struck out on foot to all of the clubs and chitlin’ circuits in the booming 1960’s Bay Area blues scene. Ever the dauntless young man, he approached Blues legend Johnny Talbot at a local shoe shine parlor and insisted that he give him a try. Lo and behold, Rustee went on to record his first two singles with Johnny. His career had begun!Rustee has gone on to play or record with the top movers of the music world, both locally and internationally. Basically self-taught with additional theory classes, his music has been touched by the Creator, and he is here now so that his music may move you.lrd Lauren Renee’ De Arman

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Member Since: 4/17/2008
Band Website: http://www.rusteeallen.com
Band Members: Fred Ross - Lead Vocals & Musical Director Singer, song writer, producer, and vocalist....a native of San Francisco, Fred has been performing professionally as a musician since the age of 16. He has toured the US and Europe with the legendary funksters Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley (both, formerly of the James Brown Band), as well as recording a live CD with them: Pee Wee Ellis, Live and Funky.He has also worked with Aretha Franklin, Narada Michael Walden, members of Tower of Power, Santana, Frankie Beverly & Maze, DoctorfunK and the Commodores.Other accomplishments include performing vocals in "The Martin Luther King Story", "The Stuart Little" movie, TV and radio musical ads for BMW, Dole and several "dot com" companies. Fred has also sung the National Anthem for The Associated Press, The Presidio Memorial Day Celebration, The Golden State Warriors, San Fransisco 49ers, and The San Fransisco Giants.Fred has recorded two CD's on Doc Kupka's Strokeland Records: Dignity, and The Law: According to Fred Ross with the Strokeland Superband.Rustee Allen Allen began playing the guitar at age twelve. Joining a local band, he was assigned to play the bass parts on the bottom four strings of his guitar.He was soon playing in bars with blues guitarist Johnny Talbot. A stint with the Edward Hawkins Singers led him to meet Freddie Stone, of Sly & the Family Stone.Freddie hired Allen to play bass for Little Sister, a Family Stone offshoot group. Rustee assumed the role of bass player in the Family Stone and recorded tracks from Fresh (1973) and Small Talk (1974) LPs, along with the track "Organize" from High on You (1975).Rustee has also played bass with a number of other artists, including George Clinton, Lenny Williams, The Temptations, Robin Trower, Bobby Womack, and Lighthouse for the Blind. He lead his own group,Wind, from 1977 to 1978 In 2006, Allen performed with Sly & the Family Stone at the 48th Grammy Awards."Tasche" - Keyboards & Vocals "Tasche" is a talented vocalist/musician that has been performing in front of audiences from the tender age of 6.A composer, writer, and producer, he has worked professionally in the music industry for over 15 years. He graduated from the world renowned Grove School of Music intensive keyboard program in 1991. While in LA, he worked as an arranger, keyboardist, and musical director for concerts and various off broadway theatrical productions.Tasche has been the Musical Director for for artists such as Toni Tony Tone singing background vocals and playing keyboard on their world tours. He has performed with major and independent recording artists such as The Goapele, Braxton Brothers, and balladeer Kenny Lattimore.He is also owner of Tasche Vibe Music which functions as a studio and audio production facility which produces Hip-Hop, R&B, Rap Gospel, Blues, and Rock genres of music.Tye Austin - Background Vocals Tye is a 24 year old soul singer from Fresno/ Oakland California. At the tender age of four, she sang “Jesus Loves Me,” in front of a packed audience and instantly fell in love with the stage. When Tye was 13 she was chosen to perform as the opening act for Al Jarreau. At the age of 18, Ms. Austin was crowned Miss Kern County 2002.She went on to compete at the Miss California Pageant and won a talent award for singing her rendition of “And I am Telling You” from the Broadway hit Dreamgirls.In April 2003, she was a contestant on the T.V. show Star Search. God has put her on this Earth to sing, make music and shine. With God , the support from her family, and friends, there is no turning back.Charles Spikes - Guitar & Vocals Originally from Houston, Texas, began playing with gospel groups and choirs traveling with his church in California, Colorado and other western states.Charlie has worked with gospel artists Yolanda Adams, and Dorothy Morris (Oh Happy Day fame) Edwin Hawkins and the Love Center Choir, The Berkeley Gospel Choir, The Northern California Gospel Workshop of America, and others.Spikes has performed with many accomplished artists, including: Tony! Toni! Tone!, Master P, Minnie Riperton, Charles Brown, Michael Cooper, J. Spencer, Edwin Hawkins, Robert Brookins (Earth, Wind, & Fire), Meshell NdegeOcello, Norman Connors, DeWayne Wiggins, Tower of Power, and a host of others.He has also written gospel and R & B songs, included on recordings of artists, such as Roy Tyler and New Generations and Tony Saunders. More recently co-produced two songs, ("Temptation" and "Sweet Sixteen") on the Destiny Childs' album "Bills, Bills, Bills.Billy Johnson is the beneficiary of the mentoring of fine players like Gerry Brown and Cornell Rochester. He toured with Santana in 1990 and '91, then rejoined the band in the summer of '94 for about two-and-a-half years.Johnson performed on Santana's Milagro album in 1992, and the Brothers record featuring Carlos and Jorge Santana. He plays the opening cut on Santana's smash, Supernatural, the spirited romp "(Da Le) Taleo."Billy Johnson - Drums Billy has provided a hot rhythmic bedrock -- a steady pulse on "Put Your Lights On," the powerful tom work on "Migra," some slinky funk on "Love Of My Life," and the upbeat Latin-infused rock on "Maria Maria" and "Smooth."He has played on four albums with Frankie Beverly and Maze, including Joy and Pain, Live In New Orleans, We Are One, and Back To Basics.He has also been performing with contemporary jazz guitarist Joyce Cooling since late in '96 (and played one track on her second CD, Keeping Cool)..Mic Gillette - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trombone & Vocals Mic Gillette is best known for 30+ years of stellar horns work with Cold Blood, Tower of Power, and the Sons of Champlin. Not as many people realize that he has appeared on several hundred albums and CDs (!) for some of the biggest names in the music business--Santana, The Rolling Stones, Quincy Jones, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Jefferson Starship, Huey Lewis and the News, and hundreds more. Mic also enjoyed brief stints with Blood, Sweat & Tears and The Fundamentals, an R&B/Motown band.Mic Gillette with the Sons of Champlin in the late 1990's. The majority of these appearances were during nearly two decades as leader of the world-renowned Tower of Power Horn Section.So if you didn't know, now you do: Mic Gillette has been and continues to be one of the most prolific and sought-after horn players in the history of music! When it comes to searing funk, soaring brass solos, and deliciously soulful ballads, it doesn't get any better than Mic Gillette.Eric Crystal - Saxophone Saxophonist and composer Eric Crystal has been a stalwart of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for nearly two decades. An immensely innovative, versatile and melodic improviser, Crystal was recently named one of the top 10 rising star soprano saxophone players in Downbeat’s renowned Annual Critics Poll.In high demand , both as a live and studio musician, Crystal has been featured on over 20 recordings and at festivals and concerts throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia. The saxophonist has most recently toured and recorded with Boz Scaggs and is featured on the legendary singer’s latest collection of jazz standards. The album But Beautiful - Standards Volume 1 debuted at 1 on the Billboard charts.As a leader, Crystal has also created his own critically-acclaimed projects. After co-founding the improvising collective, FRAME, whose CD came out in 1996, he released his first solo album, Dark Matter, on Red Giant Records in 1998.He has also performed or recorded with Bob Weir (Ratdog, Grateful Dead), Mike Clark (Headhunters), Charlie Hunter, Vijay Iyer, Norman Connors, Cuban pianist Omar Sosa, and members of Tower of Power, Journey, Toto and Santana.
Record Label: Unsigned

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