James Brown Is Annie

Scottish sextet, James Brown Is Annie, return to the PizzaExpress Live Holborn stage, to perform full-fat, calorie-laden, rhythm 'n' grooves for your listening pleasure. With two albums produced by original Average White Band members, Molly Duncan and Hamish Stuart, the outfit have gained a BBC Radio Scotland 'Single Of The Week' as well as sharing stages with the likes of The Family Stone, Brand New Heavies and Average White Band. Playing material from their anticipated third album, audiences can expect the funk, the whole funk, and nothing but the funk. James Brown Is Annie (often abbreviated JBiA) are a Scottish funk-n-soul collective based in Edinburgh. They formed in a piano bar, rehearse next to a sex shop, and take their name from an Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live sketch. Despite the name's playful nod, they are not a James Brown tribute act. The group's first two albums were produced by original Average White Band members Malcolm 'Molly' Duncan and Hamish Stuart, respectively, their first single - Ask Your Doctor - written exclusively for the band by AWB's Alan Gorrie. Their second single, Get Up To Get Down, earned them a BBC Radio Scotland 'Single Of The Week.' Having shared the stage many times alongside AWB, this connection with Scotland's funk-n-soul legends helped shape their sound and credibility within the RnB community. Indeed, over the years, JBiA have regularly appeared on BBC Radio Scotland and STV (Scottish Television), and have headlined two different stages at the iconic Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party, performing in front of crowds totalling over 80,000 people. James Brown Is Annie has also shared the stage with a wide range of artists, including The Family Stone, Brand New Heavies, The Headhunters, Little Feat, The Blockheads and Electric Six to name but a few. Critics and audiences alike praise JBiA for their energetic live performances and groove-laden style. Described "as crisp a thing as a conveyor belt in the Golden Wonder factory" (The Herald), the Daily Record says "The funk is strong with these ones". Meanwhile, Jazz FM commented on the funky outfit having "taken the torch from the Average White Band." Led by frontman - guitarist & vocalist, Baz Gordon - JBiA are in process of working on their anticipated third album, promising more original material and the same charismatic energy that has defined their career so far.