From the name to the music, nothing about Mulatto is one-dimensional.
The local neo-soul band capitalizes on mixing elements to create a complex sound. Neo-soul is a modern music hybrid with influences from jazz, funk and hip-hop genres. Mulatto takes that, throws in the strength of gospel, the feeling of blues, the spirit of rock and lots of energy to offer the audience something original.
Tonight at 6 p.m., Fowler Out Loud will showcase this neo-soul blend.
The band was founded three years ago, when a few of the current members were playing at the Long Beach coffeehouse It’s a Grind. The now-lead vocalist and then-undiscovered R&B artist Diondre Tribble heard them playing from outside. Intrigued by the sound, he wrote out a verse and sat in with the band, a practice common in the jazz world.
“(Tribble sitting in that day) was probably decent. I don’t even remember how the tune went,” said Tom Terrell, the band’s trumpeter and fourth-year UCLA classical trumpet performance student.
“But he left an impression. The sound just worked. Tribble called us up a few months later, and the band was born.”
The name came as naturally as the roster of band members. The original band was a sextet of three black and three white musicians, inspiring the name “Mulatto.” Some of the band members moved away for college and new members were found, but the name stuck.
“I’m the only white guy left,” Terrell said. “That means my spot is pretty safe ““ they can’t kick me out or it won’t be Mulatto anymore.”
The solid group is unlikely to change members anyway. The current sextet has been together for two years and has performed gigs at such historic Los Angeles venues as The Roxy and Temple Bar. Their success in high-expectation locales is attributed to energetic performance and the offer of a variety of sound.
Mulatto’s songs range from the cool jazz “Remedy” and the distortion-guitar laden hip-hop sound of “Trippin’,” to energetic improvised interludes. “Dreamland” is a dirty rock-instrumental with smooth R&B vocals. Terrell’s trumpet, inspired by the cool, relaxed tones of Miles Davis and Chet Baker, is heard in every song, tying Mulatto back to their coffee shop jazz roots. Drawing inspiration from artists like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Herbie Hancock, Mulatto incorporates various styles to create versatility and dimension through sound.
The members of Mulatto are as diverse as the songs they play. Bassist Dustin Moore is described by his band members as the little rockstar with dreadlocks. Guitarist Luke Aiono is the self-proclaimed smallest Samoan on the planet. Vocalist Tribble is a cool, natural showman, jumping around and off the stage. Pianist Markay Fairley is known as “Big Sexy” because, well, he is big and he is sexy.
At 24, “Big Sexy” is the elder in the band, while 16-year-old drummer Margis Miles is still in high school. But the age difference is no issue when it comes to Miles’ talent.
“We saw (Miles) play when he was 14. We knew right away that we had to get him in the band. This kid is crazy on the drums,” Terrell said.
The age- and background-diverse ensemble got its lucky break early on. Two years ago, just as the final members of the band were secured, Mulatto was offered a record contract with J Records, owned by mogul Clive Davis. The offer was tempting, but the band members were wary of the deal.
“We tore up the audition, and a month later a contract was printed up. We were lucky because this wasn’t supposed to happen right away,” Terrell said.
“But we were cautious, and it didn’t turn out to be a great deal. We would be locked in for the production of seven albums and get minimal money in return. There were no guarantees, and our sound could be changed. It was too risky.”
Refusing to compromise their sound and be tied down early on, Mulatto declined the offer that most starting bands would have jumped at.
Still a “baby act” ““ a group that has never been signed ““ the band chose the independent route. They are working on generating their own buzz.
“There was an obvious struggle for artistic control with the record companies. Now we are keeping track of our own sales and creating the leverage we never had before,” Terrell said.
The band has found the struggles of being independent worthwhile. They are establishing credibility by staying out of the net record companies sometimes put around young artists.
The pleasure of seeing their work produced unaltered is enough to deter the instant gratification of a less-than-perfect contract. This doesn’t mean, however, that Mulatto wouldn’t accept the right deal if it came along.
“There might be a demand for a group that can cross genres and borders like we can,” Terrell said. “If a company knows how to market to our advantage, and would let us be who we are, we’d love to sign. We just don’t want to become another boy band. I think it’s safe to say that the world doesn’t need another Backstreet Boys.”