Chances are, unless you are locked onto the LA music scene or a frequent traveler aboard The Smooth Jazz Cruise, you will not, as yet, have discovered the triple delights of high octane ‘party band’ DW3.
Complemented by some of the best musicians around, DW3 (short for ‘Down With 3’) is led by Eric Mondragon, Billy Mondragon and Damon Reel. They specialize in sumptuously crafted covers of some of the best R & B hits of the last forty or so years but now, newly signed to Woodward Avenue Records and with a new CD scheduled for early in 2015, these long-time regulars at Spaghettini in Seal Beach, CA (and perennial centerpiece of the late night poolside parties that have become such a feature of smooth jazz cruising) are all set to step it up a notch.
Titled ‘Vintage Truth’ the album features production from Paul Brown and a guest performance on keys from the one and only Brian Culbertson. That said DW3 are no strangers to the recording studio.
They made their debut in 2006 with ‘Live At Spaghettini’ and followed that two years later with ‘Life Love & Music’, which was crammed with soulful delicacies including a particularly cool homage to the legendary Earth Wind & Fire.
The band’s 2011 project ‘On The Floor’ (also produced by Paul Brown) boasted the track ‘I Got You’ featuring saxophonist Gerald Albright and attracted some serious interest on the UK soul scene.
If that wasn’t enough, every year, to show their appreciation, DW3 performs for the US troops abroad in such places as Afghanistan, Iraq and Asia.