The Heard is a funk machine venerated for its deep pocket, authentic grooves, and reverence for legendary funk.In The Heard’s hometown of Chicago, the group cut its teeth delivering hard hitting performances at some of the city’s top venues – the beloved aliveOne, Metro Chicago, Lincoln Hall, Concord Music Hall, and Congress Theater. The band has backed hip hop artist Lyrics Born, former Galactic vocalist Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet, and has shared stages across the U.S. with The New Mastersounds, Lettuce, The Nth Power, Dumpstaphunk, Orgone, The Motet, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Slightly Stoopid, The Funky Meters, and George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. The Heard’s music features powerful horn melodies delivered with precision and swagger by Parris Fleming (trumpet), Bryant Smith (trombone) and Lucas Ellman (saxophone), the driving rhythm guitar playing of Taras Horalewskyj, tasteful keyboard work and soulful vocals by Cole DeGenova, and a slamming foundation provided by drummer PJ Howard and bassist Mike Starr.