Bio

The Filthy Six are possibly the most exciting, authentic Soul Jazz outfit in the UK today and have established themselves as one of the most electric live acts on the scene. Their soaring horns, blistering guitar and gut-wrenching Hammond are fuelled by one of the hardest grooving rhythm sections around producing a hip-shakingly powerful mixture of jazz, funk and boogaloo totally in keeping with the finest traditions of the late 60s Blue Note/Prestige sound. These instrumental groove merchants fuse boundless energy and musicianship to create tight, funky music for the mind, body and soul.

Led by trumpeter Nick Etwell (Tom Jones, Beck, David Axelrod, Mumford & Sons) this crack unit of musical gunslingers have played with some of the biggest names in music: Amy Winehouse, Mavis Staples, Jill Scott, Mark Ronson, Noel Gallagher, Jack White, Dionne Warwick, Roger Daltrey, Roy Harper, Ronnie Spector, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Basement Jaxx, Spiritualized, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Madness, Belle & Sebastian, Galactic, Atomic Bomb Band and the James Taylor Quartet to name a few. From their literal 'underground' beginnings at the infamous Tatty Bogle Club, deep beneath the heart of London's Soho, the band built up a faithful following at their monthly 'Thursday Boogaloo' sessions in the early/mid 00's. Moving above ground and into venues across London and beyond they gained notoriety for the intensity of their live shows. This reputation took them up and down the country and out into the festival arena, spreading the Filthy gospel further afield as they went. After signing to Acid Jazz Records in 2009 the band released their eponymous debut LP in June 2010, attracting new fans and rave reviews in the process. The next couple of years saw the recording of live sessions for Mark Lamarr (Radio2), Robert Elms (BBC London) and the Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show (6Music) for BBC Radio as well as performing a series of scintillating festival sets at the London, Marlborough, Greenwich, Ealing, Reading and Isle of Wight Jazz Festivals, Vintage at Goodwood (where they also backed up Northern Soul legend Ann Sexton), Edinburgh Festival, St Paul Soul Jazz Festival (France) and a headline slot at the Jazz Lounge, Glastonbury. The Filthy horns also squeezed in a little hop across the pond to join Brit funkateers The New Mastersounds at one of their legendary 'House Of Blues' sets at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. In between all of this they topped the bill at the Acid Jazz 21st Anniversary show, recorded a second album and still found time to bring the house down at some of London’s most discerning music venues: Jazz Café, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Cargo, Vortex and the world famous Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. 2012 brought their second release for Acid Jazz - The Fox - which garnered plaudits from scenesters and critics alike, including 'Album of the week' on Jazz FM. An 11 date tour of the UK and Ireland followed, furthering their reputation as a live act not to be missed. The next few years were busy with over 100 gigs, highlights including 3 Sold Out shows for the Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club, 2 Sold Out shows at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, a headline slot at the Isle Of Wight Festival (Jazz Stage), short runs in France and Spain and their first gigs in the US. In 2014 the band completed three tours over six months in the States, with two extended trips across the 'Dirty South' and a 4 date run around New York, recording live sessions for KUT Radio (Austin TX), Daytrotter (Nashville TN), The Birthplace Sessions (Tupelo MS), Spectra Sonic Sound Sessions (Birmingham AL) and the Echo Sessions, set in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina. 2015 saw the release of 2 short films documenting their forays across The South with the help of their good friends at Stetson. That year also saw the completion of their third studio album, a series of monthly nights at the Brooklyn Bowl London and a run of after-show gigs for the Mumford & Sons 'Gentlemen Of The Road' festivals across America. March 2016 brought the release of a third studio album on Acid Jazz Records - More Filth - a record scientifically engineered to have people moving and grooving so hard they burned holes in not 1 but 2 pairs of boots and a large chunk of that dance floor as well. The following few years saw the band tour the UK, Finland, Spain and the US, with a live version of Mr Morris (from their Spectra Sonic Sound Session) appearing on Freestyle Records' release - Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club : Vol 5.

After the enforced pause of the global pandemic the band headed back into the studio for two fruitful sessions in 2021, bringing out their first new music in 5 years on Color Red Music - Soho Filth (Live from Dean St Studios) - with resulting airplay on BBC Radio 2, BBC6 Music and JazzFM among others. 2022 started with a headline return to Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and kickstarted a run of UK club shows across the summer, tours in Finland and the US, and the release of new single - Exit Music - from their fourth full length album (out 2024). 2023 saw shows at clubs and festivals across the UK including 2 Sold Out shows at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, and the hosting of 2 Late Late Shows at the one and only Ronnie Scott’s, while also putting the finishing touches to LP #4. Keep your eyes and ears open for more news on this release as we move through 2024, and in the meantime… stay Filthy.