* En anglais uniquement
Toronto-based
Four80East is actually a studio side-project for Rob DeBoer (piano, guitar, bass, programming) and
Tony Grace (drums, programming), who, along with
Grace's brother
Paul, run Boomtang Records.
Four80East developed over several years, between
Grace and DeBoer's remix schedule (for the likes of
Econoline Crush,
Amanda Marshall,
Corey Hart,
Wild Strawberries,
Philosopher Kings, and
Ashley MacIsaac) and their other project, the pop band
the Boomtang Boys.
Four80East started as an outlet of pure fun to play a sort of loose, improvisational dance music inspired by groove music out of the U.K. The other half of the band is Jack Trentman on guitar and trumpet, and
Jon Stewart on tenor saxophone. The band's first album, titled appropriately enough
The Album, came out in 1997 on Boomtang. It earned considerable airplay in both the U.S. and England.
Nocturnal followed in early 2001, marking their first effort for Higher Octave. A year later,
Round 3 followed up on their self-proclaimed "trip-jazz" sound. The group's fourth studio-effort, 2007's En Route also featured a sophisticated, acid-jazz vibe. However, 2009's Roll On, found the group digging into a retro funk and '70s soul influenced sound. In 2012, they returned with the soulful, lightly experimental Off Duty. The concert album, Four80East Live, appeared in 2014. In 2015,
Four80East released their seventh studio-album, Positraction, which included the single, "Cookie Strut." ~ Stanton Swihart