Melting Pot

Melting Pot is a Southern California ska funk group from San Pedro, active since 1992. The band is a trio built around guitar, bass and drums, and it presents itself as a project focused on serving the music rather than on showmanship.

Sound and influences

Its music is described as hard-driving rock and roll that blends blues, soul, R&B, jam band and world-music elements. The band also cites a wide set of influences, including the Black Crowes, Grand Funk Railroad, Cream, Otis Redding, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Its broader tag profile includes classic rock, rock, Southern rock, soul and Funky 16 Corners.

Members

Nelson Sobral handles guitar and lead vocals. He is Parkdale-bred and grows up on a mix of Portuguese folk music, ABBA, Otis Redding, the Beatles, Trenchtown and Motown. He plays in rock and blues bands around Toronto, works as musical director at the original Comfort Zone, and performs with musicians connected to Jeff Healey, Tom Cochrane and Lenny Kravitz. His previous bands include The Beggarz, Reuben Cherry and Selective Collective, along with many rock, soul, funk, blues, country and reggae projects.

Darin Meilleur plays bass and backing vocals. He starts singing at three, begins learning several instruments at 12 and settles on bass at 17. He plays in rock and blues bands before joining Sobral, and his style is described as aggressive and groove-led, with a focus on supporting the song while still allowing space to stretch out.

Carmelo Galle plays drums, percussion and backing vocals. He develops an early interest in drumming and is described as a player who thinks in terms of groove and feel rather than flash. His playing moves across rock, blues, jazz and R&B, and he aims to lock in with the bass and shape rhythms from the guitar parts as well.

Approach

The group gives away copies of its debut five-song EP and places emphasis on live performance. Its public presentation stresses honest songwriting, a direct band setup and a straightforward approach to the music business.