Reel People (dance series) , Support: The Ronnie Scotts All Stars Thursday 5th April - Friday 6th April

Please note there are a limited number of 'entry only' tickets now available for the Friday 22.30pm show only now. All other shows and tickets are sold out. Some tables in the lower section will be cleared for this show to make way for a dancefloor...

Tony Momrelle (vocals), Imaani (vocals), Katie Leone (vocals), Jono McNeil (vocals),Simon Grey (keys),  Pete Biggins (drums), Karl Van Den Bossche (perc), Tony Remy (guitar), Julian Crampton (bass)

Having worked the counter at London’s highly influential Flying Records store during the late 1990s, teenager Oli Lazarus was well prepared for his leap into production and label management. In 2001 he founded Papa Records and simultaneously launched Reel People on to the soulful underground stage.

In 2002, talented musician and writer Mike Patto joined the project and Reel People’s hugely acclaimed debut album Second Guess was released on Papa Records at the tail-end of 2003. The record was refreshingly broad in its tastes and saw collaborations with a wealth of talent from the soulful underground. From the DJ Spinna’s beats on Steppin’ and the sultry rim-soul of Back 2 Base, with the uptempo jazzed-out zip of Can’t Stop and flute-driven house of super-sweet Butterflies. There was also significant input from D-Influence-affiliated singer and songwriter Dyanna Fearon.

Reel People Live was incredibly received on a global level with constant tours around Asia, America and Europe. Highlights included Tokyo Jazz Festival with Herbie Hancock, the infamous Blue Note clubs in Japan, V Festival & T In The Park in the UK.

A set at the highly pivotal House Music Awards in 2004 – attended by the industry’s great and good – was lapped up by Defected Records boss, Simon Dunmore, who promptly expressed his desire to re-release Second Guess with a few tasty extras; namely a bonus disc of live recordings and remixes, and three new songs, including The Rain featuring the vocal talents of Sharlene Hector. The deal was done and come re-launch, early 2005, Reel People was thrust tastefully into the hearts and minds of even more underground listeners.

In 2008 a brand new long-player Seven Ways To Wonder was the fruits of there labour and was launched with new single Alibi, featuring singer Darien. Alibi marked Reel People’s official return to the clubland fray; it was a delicious slice of sun-drenched Latino-soul that neatly reflected the band’s impressive artistic progression and greater compositional assuredness on Seven Ways. Alongside Alibi, the new album ranged from sweet Omar-voiced soca groove Outta Love to Shalamar-inspired soul-disco bomb Amazing (featuring Tony Momrelle and fellow Incognito artist Imaani,) via the classy Steely Dan-edged Ordinary Man.

Acclaimed by everyone from The Times to Blues & Soul Magazine, the Papa Records released Seven Ways was a deeply meaningful, beautifully arranged collection of songs. It offered funky, sashaying pep but, more than that, took a clever step back from the dancefloor; all the better to convey the band’s complete, free-ranging vision.

Further tip-top singles – Upside, Amazing, Outta Love - were lifted from Seven Ways throughout the year, and skilfully remixed for taste-making DJs by the likes of Dennis Ferrer, Rasmus Faber and IG Culture.

Mike Patto left at the end of 2008 to move onto other projects. But meantime, Oli’s friendship and exciting working relationships with 24-carat Incognito vocalist Tony Momrelle and London-based studio don Toni Economides meant that new ideas and creative platforms where there to develop the Reel People sound.

December 2009 came the launch of new label Reel People Music with the single Star, a feel-good, jazz-funky lick fronted superbly by Tony Momrelle and followed superbly this summer with It Will Be, yet another slinky, soul-juiced cut from Seven Ways.

2011 saw the release of ‘Reel People Present Golden Lady’ , a collection of “spine-tingling” songs including a beautiful cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Golden Lady’ beautifully vocalled by Tony Momrelle, The album also included new London vocalist Shezar plus superb efforts from Renn and US Soul stars Choklate and Darien.