Chop and Quench (The Fela! Band), Alba and The Mighty Lions

CHOP AND QUENCH, “The Fela! Band”, is comprised of members of the cast and band of FELA! the musical. Individually, the musicians are some of the finest in New York, having performed with The Roots, India Arie, Elvis Costello, and many others. Lead singer Sahr Ngaujah was nominated for a TONY Award for his performance in the Broadway show and has been featured on film and television. As a unit, the band has gotten to accompany performers such as Beyonce, Femi Kuti, and Angelique Kidjo. Known for their straightforward performances of classic Fela Kuti compositions, they have branched out, bringing their own original music to the stage. After performing around the world, they recently performed at the Sundance Film Festival in conjunction with the premier of Alex Gibney’s film “Finding Fela”. They are now back home in New York preparing new material to take into the studio for their first recording since the Fela! Broadway cast recording, and looking forward to starting a weekly Monday night residency at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.


A lil' bit country, lil' bit soul, lil' bit rock n' roll. Led by former Del-Reys frontwoman, Alba Ponce de Leon, Alba + The Mighty Lions recalls 70s country rock with its emotionally charged songs, memorable riffs, and sharply written lyrics. The band is comprised of longtime collaborator Mike Deller (Charles Bradley + His Extraordinaires, Budos Band), Derek Nievergelt (Robin McKellen), Robin Schmidt (Ikebe Shakedown), and Marian LiPino (La Luz). Together they blend soulful swampy southern blues with loose rock n' roll vibes. Songs range from painfully desperate pleas to defiant declarations of female strength, with psychedelic cowboy love songs thrown in for good measure. Their forthcoming debut album, recorded by Vince Chiarito (Charles Bradley, Ikebe Shakedown) tows the line between tight arrangement and free-flowing jam session- a tension that echoes the control we seek in life and the heartbreaks that lead us off course.