Lettuce

Biography

Lettuce is a North American funk band formed in the summer of 1992 in Boston, Massachusetts, when its founding members—teenagers attending a music program at Berklee College of Music—came together inspired by classic funk acts like Herbie Hancock, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Tower of Power. They jammed extensively that summer before parting ways, but reconvened in fall 1994 as Berklee undergrads, adopting the name 'Lettuce' from their persistent pleas to club owners: 'Let us play.' Early keyboardists included Michael Butler and Jeff Bhasker, with Neal Evans later joining; the band built a grassroots following through word-of-mouth in cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Tokyo.[1][2][5]

Releasing their debut album Outta Here in 2002 and Live in Tokyo in 2003, Lettuce evolved their sound, blending funk with hip-hop urgency, jazz fusion, rock, psychedelia, soul, and avant-garde elements. Their 2008 album Rage! paid homage to 1970s funk leaders with covers like Curtis Mayfield's 'Move on Up' and Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's 'Express Yourself.' Subsequent releases include Fly (2012), the chart-topping Crush (2015), Elevate (2019, Grammy-nominated for Instrumental Album of the Year), Resonate (2020), Unify (2022), and the fully improvised VIBE (recent).[1][3][6] Core members today are Adam 'Shmeeans' Smirnoff (guitar), Nigel Hall (keyboards, vocals), Adam Deitch (drums), Erick 'Maverick'/'Jesus' Coomes (bass), Ryan Zoidis (saxophone), and Eric 'Benny' Bloom (trumpet), with past and occasional contributions from Eric Krasno (guitar), Neal Evans (keyboards), and Rashawn Ross (trumpet).[1][2][3]

Known for incendiary live shows that capture spontaneous energy, Lettuce has toured relentlessly for over three decades, collaborating across genres and pushing funk boundaries while maintaining deep camaraderie rooted in their Berklee origins. Their music reflects a genre-defying collective spirit, influencing modern jam and fusion scenes.[2][3][6]

Fun Facts

• The band's name originated from their bold pitches to Boston jazz club owners as undergrads: 'Let us play,' which club owners shortened to 'Lettuce.'[1][5]
• Their 2020 album Elevate earned a Grammy nomination for Instrumental Album of the Year.[1]
• Lettuce's latest release VIBE is a single 48-minute track of pure improvisation, recorded without planning, editing, or overdubs.[3][6]
• Early keyboardists Michael Butler and Jeff Bhasker paved the way before Neal Evans joined, reflecting the band's evolving lineup from Berklee roots.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Herbie Hancock - major stylistic influence on early jamming and sound (general inspiration for debut era) [1992]
• Earth, Wind & Fire - key funk influence shaping band's foundation (inspired formation and early repertoire) [1992-1994]
• Tower of Power - horn-driven funk inspiration (influenced brass section and energy) [1992]

Key Collaborators

• Neal Evans - longtime keyboardist (early albums including Outta Here, Rage!) [late 1990s-2010s]
• Eric Krasno - guitarist and Soulive co-founder, frequent contributor (Crush (2015), various tours) [2000s-present]
• Soul Rebels Brass Band - jam cruise performance partner (Jam Cruise 2013) [2013]
• Rashawn Ross - trumpet player on select recordings (Crush (2015)) [2010s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Phyllis (Crush)
2. The Force (Crush)
3. Mt. Crushmore (Mt. Crushmore)
4. Madison Square (Fly)
5. Express Yourself (Rage!)
6. Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Elevate)
7. 116th St. (Mt. Crushmore)
8. Get Greasy (Crush)
9. Do It Like You Do (Fly)
10. Silence is Golden (Resonate)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia