DS 168

About DS 168: (See Them Live Dates)

After attending rehearsals by DS 168, I was mesmerized and pleasantly surprised on how incredible this quintet sounded. After carefully checking the background on these musicians, I could understand the quality of their music. DS 168 is a Kingston/Woodstock based group, which was co-founded by Steve Mulvaney on lead guitar and vocals and Peter Martin on percussion and back up vocals, later joined by Rusty Boris on Bass, Phil Kudlo on rhythm guitar and back up vocals, and Graham Taylor on drums and back up vocals.

The chemistry within these musicians while rehearsing takes you on a journey where you find yourself sitting in a venue like Carnegie Hall listening to the likes of Russ Freeman meets Mark Antoine. With Steve playing melodic lines on his guitar that fill the room with this musical aura that one longs for when listening to smooth jazz, and Phil's full rhythm guitar covering all space within the song, Rusty on bass holding rounded notes, and, of course, with Graham and Peter improvising and complimenting each other with rhythmic beats, together they make you feel like smooth jazz is the genre of music you would always want to listen to. Although smooth jazz is the group's main forte, they mix some pop/rock and funk in their repertoire to highlight the versatility of the group's talent.

My conclusion, after spending some time around DS 168, is that Niki Records has found another unique gem that will certainly leave a mark on the music industry. If you're looking for the hottest recommendation right now in New York, I recommend DS 168 is a "must see" show. I would use a phrase from one of their songs, "It's All Good", from their upcoming album, "Love's Kaleidoscope".

LD
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