Redtenbacher's Funkestra

The London based, multi-national, Redtenbacher’s Funkestra is the brainchild of bassist, composer and producer Stefan Redtenbacher. This original and mostly instrumental wall-to-wall Jazz Funk Collective of world class players has about 20 releases to their name - notably ‘The Hang’ which was number one win the weekly top 50 Funk album chart according to the Roots Music Report. ‘Live Your Best Dream’ their latest full-blown instrumental album featuring guitarists Scott McKeon, Mike Outram, Tony Remy and Carter Arrington has just been released on RSB Records.


 

They have recorded with the 'who's who' from the international Jazz Funk and Fusion scene including legends like Fred Wesley, Alfred ‘Pee Wee’ Ellis from James Brown, Stephen ‘Doc’ Kupka, Lee Thornburg and Lenny Pickett from Tower of Power, Cory Wong (Vulfpeck), Eric Krazno (Lettuce), Stanton Moore (Galactic), drum virtuoso Benny Greb, Elliott Randall and Keith Carlock (Steely Dan), titanic saxophone players Rick Margitza (Miles Davis Band), Chris Hunter (Gil Evans Orchestra), Andy Snitzer (Paul Simon), Prince’s New Power Generation horn section (aka ‘The Hornheads’) and  horn players from Incognito, Brand New Heavies and many more.

Their records have been released on Wooden Hat Records (USA), Pedigree Cuts/Universal (UK) and Stefan’s own label RSB Records. In the last 5 years they have clocked up an impressive 8 million+ plus (and rising) streams on Spotify only and their music has also been publicly performed by Big Bands in USA, Austria, Germany, Holland, Denmark and the UK.

Over the past few years the Funkestra rhythm section has also served as the studio house band for ‘The Masterlink Sessions’ and have fully embraced a broader range of styles, not least supporting  a range of noted international vocalists. The has resulted in 150+ videos and several album and EP recordings with US Grammy winner Mike Farris, Hamish Stuart (Average White Band, Ringo Starr), Rumer, Rosie Frater-Taylor, Robben Ford, Sarah Jane Morris, Connor Selby, Jo Harman, Mutya Buena (Sugababes), Mim Grey, Orphy Robinson MBE, Australia's Georgia van Etten, Mike Mayfield, Jana Varga, Jade Like The Stone, Portugal's Diana Silveira, Jools Holland vocalist Louise Marshall, Hollie Rogers, Helena May, Laura Evans, Jazz Morley, Sam Tanner and many more.

The band has morphed, somewhat organically, into a zeitgeist equivalent of the legendary studio bands from Motown (Funkbrothers), Stax Records (Booker T & The MGs/Mar-Keys) and Muscle Shoals (‘The Swampers’) respectively, and are the studio/production house choice for very many respected artists at the elite end of the music business. With this, the band, whilst continuing to make their own successful records, has evolved into a highly respected Nashville-type production house in the Surrey Hills, UK - a set up that seems destined to continue on an even larger scale as they move further into the new decade.

Their most recent project celebrates the songs of Joni Mitchell. The ‘Both Sides Now’ show is playing in the UK and Europe and is accompanied by their latest album ‘Joni Reimagined (an homage to the songs of Joni Mitchell)’ as well as the all instrumental Jazz Funk album ‘The Colours of Joni’.

They will release a triple box set including ‘The Colours of Joni’, ‘Live Your Best Dream’ and ‘Funkopia’ in the first quarter of 2025, just in time for the Imagine festival in Ottobrunn, Feb 25.