Saturday Night

Grupo X celebrate twenty years since their first acclaimed album release,'X-Posure', with a brand new, hotly anticipated album, 'Saturday Night'.

Grupo X vocalist and legendary UK house, soul, funk and jazz artist, Lisa Millett says "We wanted to make an album that feels live and gives listeners the feeling of a great night out. We love playing live and have really missed it."

The album features nine original dancefloor-friendly tracks, mixing diverse Latin rhythms from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia with Grupo X's trademark Latin soul sensibility. In a stellar line-up, Lisa Millett is on top form, featuring on seven of the nine tracks, with Venezuelan salsero Lino Rocha guesting for funky cha cha, El Sazón.

It's been a long journey. The album began in 2017 with three days recording at the famous Eve Studios, Stockport, followed by regular overdub sessions at the Butcher's Shop studio in north London over the next three years. Grupo X released two singles as tasters from the album, 'Something Going On' (2018) and 'Kind of Blue' (2020), which received high praise and airplay from taste-making DJs, including Craig Charles on BBC 6Music.

The album was finished and ready to go in 2020 when Covid struck. Grupo X are proud to finally be able to present, 'Saturday Night'.

Tracklist

1. Soulful Man (Enright/Corby)

2. Fire In Me (Enright/ Eckford)

3. Saturday Night (Enright/ Millett)

4. Rise Above It (Le Messurier / Enright)

5. El Sazón (Enright/ Rocha)

6. Never Be Alone (Enright/ Millett)

7. Don't Change a Thing (Enright)

8. Kind of Blue (Enright/ Corby)

9. Something Going On (Enright/ Corby)

Reactions to 'Kind of Blue' single release:

"this wonderful slice of spiritual soul from one of the UK's leading Latin soul outfits"

Craig Charles BBC6Music,

'"Another slice of summer from Grupo X. Perfect feel-good vibes for 2020"

Adrian Gibson, AGMP

"LOVE this track - reminds me of Incognito.... wonderful track"

Simon Harrison basic-soul.co.uk

"Absolutely love that song! Maybe your strongest yet."

DJ Jamie Renton

"Very uplifting and needed some joy in my life during these dark days of the current health crisis." DJ Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love

"... really love that. especially Kind of Blue is very good. love to play my worldwide fm show on next Monday."

Toshio Matsuura Worldwide FM

Background:

Formed in London in 1997, by trombonist/composer/ arranger, Jonny Enright, Grupo X's pioneering, crossover Latin sound developed through regular appearances at London's Jazz Cafe in the late 90s / early 2000s, as well as performances in the UK and around mainland Europe, both under their own name and as the first call backing band for visiting Latin music stars and legends from across the Atlantic ocean.

Collaborating with many internationally-renowned artists over the years including "Mr Bongo" Jack Costanzo, US vibes jazz legend Dave Pike, West Coast percussionists Bobby Matos and Johnny Blas, Cuban pianist and Joe Cuba sideman Alfredo Rodriguez plus NYC salsa stars Jimmy Sabater (Fania Records) trombonist Jimmy Bosch and the "King of Latin Soul", Joe Bataan helped to shape their unique sound.

Grupo X previous album releases are: X-Posure (2001), Food For Your Latin Soul (2006), Grupo X Remixed (2008), As Hills Go By (2011), Songs From Our Latin Soul (2016).

Grupo X track 'Jonny's Bugalu' featured on the DSW Shoes TV commercial, airing across the USA in 2007

'Sunshine and You' was licensed by West Ham United FC to promote their new signing Felipe Anderson in 2018 in videos, seen by millions across social media.

Grupo X's music is all self-composed and arranged from within the band, an ensemble made up of some of the finest jazz, soul and Latin musicians and session players in the UK.

Grupo X full line up: Lisa Millett (ATFC/ Defected) on vocals, Al MacSween - piano (Ruby Turner/ Courtney Pine), Simon Edwards - bass (Fairground Attraction/ Talk Talk), Jim Le Messurier - drums (Penya/ Tito Allen), Pete Eckford - percussion (Chaz Jankel/ Leroy Hutson), Dave Pattman - percussion (Paul McCartney/ Cubanismo), Olly Drew - guitar (Freeloader/ MyVoxSongs), Sean Corby - trumpet, flugel (Jazz Jamaica/ Kobo Town) and bandleader Jonny Enright - trombone, piano/keyboards (Gregory Isaacs / Elbow).