Extra Love

Extra Love is a Manchester-based group that develops from a two-piece duo into a 10-piece jazz, soul and reggae collective. The band brings together session musicians and plays a blend of rhythm and blues, reggae, dub, soul, funk and jazz. It performs at UK festivals, events and studio productions, and works with vocalists through the Natural Selection Collective.

Line-up

The band includes Vincent Proudfoot on saxophone, who also plays with ska group The Physical Jerks and works in jazz and function sessions. Sam Lewis plays saxophone and has worked as a session musician with Rico Rodriguez, Bad Manners and The Beat during his time with Skaface, as well as with The Tribunes and Topsy and The Boss. Paul Duffy plays trumpet and tours as principal cornet player with the Black Dyke Brass Band.

Rich Wassel plays trombone and performs across styles from salsa to dubstep, including work with La Conjuncta Salsonito and The Physical Jerks. Phil Ratcliffe plays guitar and releases his own material, including the solo album Big in Eccles. Roy Medhurst plays keys and supplies electronics and delayed synth sounds, adapting to different bands and styles.

Elias Kacomanolis plays percussion and has a background in African and Cuban rhythms. Born in Mozambique and later moving to Portugal for his musical education, he has worked as a professional drummer internationally for around two decades. Matt Gorrie plays bass and has played with Topsy and The Boss and at dub nights across the North West, with Robbie Shakespeare as a key influence.

Josh Zahler plays drums and has also performed in Dexter, a drum and bass, experimental and progressive group with Phil Ratcliffe. Rachel Lasham plays percussion and leads a 15-piece Brazilian samba band that performs at outdoor events.

Background

Extra Love forms as a professional collective of session musicians and grows from a smaller line-up into a full ten-piece band. It develops its live work through collaborations with vocalists and has appeared at some of the UK’s well-known festivals and events. The group’s personnel span jazz, ska, reggae, dub, funk, brass band and samba backgrounds, which shapes its cross-genre sound.