A fixture on the U.K.'s soul and funk revivalist circuit, the Pimptones were formed in 2007 and are led by guitarist/composer/arranger Nick Pride. The band's retro dancefloor-friendly sound on their debut single "Deeper Pimp" caught the ear of influential U.K. DJ Craig Charles, among others, and led to regional support slots for the touring Maceo Parker, Candi Staton, and the Youngblood Brass Band. The single showcased the Pimptones' unique "live band bootleg" mash-up specialty -- a thrilling component of their live shows.

Their debut album, It's the Pimptones, landed in 2009 but it was the second long-player, Midnight Feast of Jazz released on Milan's Record Kicks in 2011, that saw the Pimptones break through to a wider audience, especially the single "Waitin' So Long," which featured vocalist Jess Roberts. The following year saw the album reworked as Remixed Feast of Jazz (with TM Juke, Diesler, Smoove, and Renegades of Jazz), with a funky retread of "Unfinished Sympathy" and "White Lines" as a double-A-side single. Switching to the Légère label in 2014, the band released Rejuiced Phat Shake -- which was a slightly more diverse affair musically -- and once again featured a host of guest vocalists, including Beth Macari, who would join the band permanently. With a settled lineup of Ian Paterson (bass), Oz Cassidy (drums), Keith Nicholson (trumpet), and Alex Saxon (saxophone/flute) joining Pride and Macari, the Pimptones recorded their second album, Go Deep, for Légère in their hometown of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, U.K. in 2015. Released the following year, it heralded a back-to-basics return to their old-school soul and funk roots. ~ Matthew Garbutt, Rovi