The wheel of time turns, perpetually, learning from the past and adapting in motion. Funk Griot embodies this idea, promenading an uncharted avenue of musical expression. The New Orleans based sextet - Revon Andrews (Trombone), Joseph Boucha (Keyboards), Orlando Gilbert (Saxophone), Ian Molinaro-Thompson (Drums), Nick Salcido (Bass), and Matt Schultz (Guitar) - bring the groove straight to audiences with a high octane sound that combines Funk, Soul, Rock, Hip Hop, New Orleans Brass Band, and everything in between.

In 2019 Andrews and Molinaro-Thompson met via their mutual friend Orlando Gilbert, and formed the band, calling musicians in New Orleans to join them. M-T explains that Funk Griot was “born from a shared love of music. Each of us came in with different influences and voices, and we’ve always had a desire to create something that’s our own.” 

Andrews, who, in his own words, hails “from the great state of the Treme in a city called the 6th Ward,” has known music all of his life. Both Andrews and Gilbert come from important and musical families in New Orleans and draw upon the experiences of growing up surrounded and engrossed in a culture in which music is central. “Watching my family growing up,” Andrews continues, “knowing they were out gigging and on the road playing music” gave him the blueprint.

Joseph Boucha talks about when the band formed, saying “When we started we were playing music that had been played for decades. Then we started experimenting, going in the studio, and performing, and we’ve incorporated those different traditions and genres into an authentic sound.”

Two years after forming, having survived a global pandemic by working tirelessly on a debut single, the guys set off in Ian’s Hyundai Elantra and Revon’s Chevy Tahoe to play their first shows on the road in Memphis, TN in August of 2021.

Funk is more than a genre, it’s an attitude, and Funk Griot have it in spades. Music is a tool that has been used to communicate, heal, and tell stories for millenia. Bringing excitement and authenticity to the forefront of their storytelling, it's Funk Griot’s mission to shepherd those ideas for today and the future. 

Keep up with the band by searching Funk Griot on Facebook and YouTube, and @funkgriotmusic on Instagram. Contact them for booking and inquiries by emailing funkgriotmusic@gmail.com