JB&theMmmms bring on the funk

THE mercurial and slightly mysterious local funk and soul group JB & The Mmmms will play its annual show at the Citadel in Murwillumbah on Friday, December 5.

The popular collective plays regularly, although it performs rarely, except for the once-a-year outing. The love of funk and groove music that drew them together however remains the heartbeat of their high-energy shows.

Singer, trumpet player and guitarist, Mikey Squire, said the band’s origin story was born of a serendipitous moment.

“It was a Saturday in Murbah unlike any other, and everyone had been locked down. We try and forget, but it definitely happened to all of us, right?” Squire said.

“There was a local event at Keith’s, and no one had been out for months. It was the first time we had been near each other at one time and all of a sudden there were 100 people in the alleyway, and it was crazy.

“Everyone had forgotten how to behave; they were so excited. It was noisy, with laughter and hugging! It was amazing.”

After bumping into guitarist Jason Baggio, Squire decided to join him for a jam.

“Walking to the car, we saw Martha, sax player extraordinaire, and she came along too,” he said.

“Then we drove to Bob’s house, our bass player, who has a fantastic studio where we still rehearse, which is a privilege. He introduced us to Mick, our drummer, and we all started playing some groove music, turning it up.

“Then there was a knock on the door, and Mohini walked in with a big smile and beautiful aura. She joined in, and all of a sudden, we got better, the six of us.”

Baggio said it had been a night of great alignment.

“Mikey and I had played together; Bob, Mick and I had played together; Mohini and Martha had played together, and Bob and Mohini had played together – all separately,” he said.

“There was an instant energy in the room, and it was crazy special; a great combination.”

For the musicians just out of lockdown, playing music with people they had just warmly connected with was a pivotal moment.

“It was great, grooving on to some of our favourite artists from Sly and the Family Stone to Chaka Khan to John Scofield. It didn’t take long for us to find common ground,” Squire said.

“We had a Jason, a Bob, a Mick, a Mohini, a Martha and a Mikey, so naturally we decided to call ourselves after our own initials, and we became JB & The Mmmms.

“The way we pronounce the Mmmm is the same way you’d say it if you tasted something great, or you were dancing to something amazing, or, you know, maybe something else. Whatever makes you feel good, that’s the Mmmm.”

Bring your dancing shoes to get that Mmmm feeling. For tickets, visit events.humanitix.com/jb-and-the-mmmms-kqyuhebt