Steve Dunne and Sacramento Blues Hall of Fame vocalist Dana Moret lead an afternoon blending original soul, blues, funk and rock in Historic Folsom
Sunday afternoon at Powerhouse Pub will move beyond traditional blues as Zenn Vudu brings its distinctive blend of soul, blues, funk and rock to Historic Folsom for this week’s edition of Powerhouse of Blues.
The band takes the stage Sunday, Aug. 9, from 3 to 6 p.m., bringing together longtime collaborators Steve Dunne and Dana Moret for a performance built around original music, deep soul influences and what the group describes as its own brand of “Stonegroove Soul.”
Dunne, a bandleader, producer, guitarist and songwriter with the legendary Lydia Pense and Cold Blood, joins Moret, a Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame inductee and powerhouse vocalist who has also performed as a support vocalist with Cold Blood.
At the heart of Zenn Vudu is a songwriting partnership between Dunne and Moret that stretches back more than a decade. The project gives the pair an opportunity to bring that body of work to the stage while developing a sound that draws heavily from the traditions of soul and blues without being confined by either genre.
Adding another layer to the group’s material is the songwriting of Larry Davis of the Bay Area funk band McNasty. Together, the musicians take songs developed through years of collaboration and shape them with elements of blues, funk, soul, pop and rock.
The result is a catalog that looks back to some of American soul music’s most influential voices while emphasizing Zenn Vudu’s own original material.
The band cites artists including Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Otis Redding and Sly Stone among the musical touchstones that can be heard in its work. Those influences provide a foundation rather than a script, with the group using familiar elements of classic soul and blues to develop its own stories and arrangements.
For Dunne, the project also represents another chapter in a career closely tied to one of Northern California’s best-known soul and funk bands.
Lydia Pense and Cold Blood emerged from the Bay Area music scene in the late 1960s and became closely associated with the horn-driven blend of funk, soul and R&B sometimes identified with the East Bay sound. Dunne’s work as a guitarist, songwriter and producer with the group provides one of the musical connections behind Zenn Vudu’s approach.
Moret brings her own extensive history in Northern California music to the collaboration. Her work as a vocalist has included performing with Cold Blood, and her career has earned her induction into the Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame.
Together, Dunne and Moret have spent more than a decade writing music, with Zenn Vudu providing a vehicle for songs from that partnership as well as individual compositions that have taken on a new form within the band.
The Sunday show is also expected to feature a couple of special guest musicians joining Zenn Vudu for the afternoon performance.
While Powerhouse of Blues regularly brings traditional and contemporary blues performers to the Sutter Street venue, Zenn Vudu’s appearance stretches across several musical boundaries. Soulful vocals and blues foundations meet funk rhythms, rock elements and contemporary touches, with original songwriting remaining at the center of the performance.
That combination is where the band’s “Stonegroove Soul” description comes into play — a sound rooted in the soul music of previous generations while giving the musicians room to take it in their own direction.
Zenn Vudu performs Sunday, Aug. 9, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Powerhouse Pub, 614 Sutter St. in Historic Folsom. The performance is part of the venue’s ongoing Powerhouse of Blues series and is for ages 21 and over.
Tickets, VIP reservations and additional information are available at Powerhouse Pub’s website, www.powerhousepub.com.
Photo by Phil Kampel Photography, provided by Zenn Vudu and Powerhouse Entertainment.
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