It's been a breakthrough year for the Memphis Mafia Band, a Red Deer-based group gearing up to play Lacombe's Music in the Park on July 24.
Performances in the series, presented by the Lacombe Performing Arts Association, start at 6:30 p.m. on the Lacombe Memorial Centre’s Echo Stage.
Earlier this year, the guys signed with Deer City Records and wrapped production on their first official recording - a 'live-off-the-floor' powerhouse project set to be released in the coming weeks, said guitarist Matt Allen.
There are a couple of new faces in the group as well, including Dennis Baptista on keys and bassist Kurt Hanson (who replaces David Gilmore).
Gilmore's schedule became pretty tight as he also runs a guitar-building business, but he's still going to help out when needed and even drop in for dates down the road, said Allen.
Rounding out the group are Louie Massicotte and drummer Chris Pompetti.
The aptly-named band continues to masterfully cover a range of hits from legends like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Chuck Berry to name but a few.
Speaking of Elvis, he's essentially the inspiration for the band's moniker, which dates back to Presley's heyday through the 50s, 60s, and 70s, when he had something of an entourage made up of friends and family that became known as the ‘Memphis Mafia’.
As mentioned, the sounds from that golden era are at the heart of what The Memphis Mafia is all about.
But they aren't limited to that.
They also tackle country/old-time rock and roll - from the aforementioned Cash and Berry to Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, plus they tap into the slick 80s/90s styles of Dwight Yoakam and George Strait.
Meanwhile, the about-to-be-released disc is at the forefront of the guys' thoughts these days.
"It's going to be released on CD, all electronic and social media forms, and eventually we are going to have a special edition vinyl album coming out as well," said Allen.
The project was recorded at Red Deer's Deer City Studios, which is owned by local musician Jesse Roads.
"Being true to our genre, and to a lot of the artists that we cover dating back to that 1950s/60s Memphis sound from Jerry Lee Lewis to Elvis to Johnny Cash, they all had that very distinct sound to their vocals and their music," he explained of the 'live-off-the-floor' approach.
"Most of those tracks were recorded at Sun Studios - they would have the band there, and the room would be micked. And that's the sound you get. With modern recording techniques, some bands aren't even together when they do tracks - everyone does a track or a line, and it can be sent over from another studio."
Sometimes, this approach can result in music that sounds simply over-produced, he noted.
"We said we are going to do this album like they would have done back in that era, and try to capture that sound. You hear all of the echoes, and everything is 'live' and real," he said.
"It's more authentic - and more raw. There is also 100 percent less room for error," he added with a laugh.
"When you are recording tracks over and over, you can record that same track 100 times until you get it exactly right. But we are playing it 'live' - what we play is what you get."
The result?
Listening to the record will be like taking in a 'live' show.
"So yes, there is a rawness to it for sure."
Allen’s own musical journey was sparked early on. His first record was Guns ‘n Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. But his Dad listened to lots of old-time Johnny Cash and Jennings, so Allen grew to love those sounds, too.
For Allen, as for all the band members, there isn't much that can top immersing oneself in the magic of making music.
"It's been a lifetime passion of everyone in the band."
For more, visit www.memphismafiaband.net or find the band on social media platforms.
Next up in the Music in the Park series is The Ultimate Berube Sing-along on July 31.
