Toyesauce

Biography

Toyesauce is a collaborative studio music project curated by guitarist Leon Toye, bringing together world-class musicians from Nashville, New Orleans, and Austin to create funk-influenced recordings.[2][6] Founded at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the project represents a unique fusion of musical traditions from three distinct American music cities, each contributing its own cultural and stylistic DNA to the collaborative recordings.[3] As a strictly studio project rather than a touring band, Toyesauce's greatest strength lies in its ability to assemble an ever-evolving lineup of accomplished musicians, record innovative grooves that feel native to New Orleans, Nashville, and Austin, and splice them together to sound as though the musicians were sharing the same stage.[3]

Leon Toye, the mastermind behind Toyesauce, is one of the top in-demand saxophonists in the world and a first-call studio musician in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has resided since 1991.[5] The project has established itself as a premier vehicle for exploring funk and acid jazz through high-profile collaborations, recruiting venerable musicians from the New Orleans music scene including members of legendary bands like The Meters and Galactic.[3] Toyesauce has released multiple singles and projects, including instrumental tracks and vocal collaborations, with recent releases in 2025 demonstrating the project's continued vitality and relevance in contemporary funk music.[3]

Fun Facts

• Toyesauce was born at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, establishing the project's deep connection to one of America's most prestigious music festivals.[3]
• The project specializes in reimagining classic funk standards, including multiple recordings of The Meters' compositions, bringing together original band members with contemporary musicians.[3][9]
• As a studio-only project, Toyesauce musicians have coordinated recording sessions between Nashville and New Orleans, creating a unique production approach that captures the musical essence of multiple cities without requiring the ensemble to perform live together.[3]
• Kevin McKinney, one of Toyesauce's featured collaborators, co-founded the Austin band Soulhat, whose song 'Bonecrusher' became an Austin radio anthem, playing every Friday at exactly 5PM for ten consecutive years.[1]

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• George Porter Jr. - Legendary bassist from The Meters; featured on multiple Toyesauce projects (Love Is Gonna Get Ya, Give It What You Can) [2024-2025]
• Stanton Moore - Drummer from Galactic; core collaborator on funk-driven recordings (Love Is Gonna Get Ya, Give It What You Can) [2024-2025]
• Kevin McKinney - Austin-based guitarist and vocalist from Soulhat; composer and performer (Love Is Gonna Get Ya, The Burglar, Good As It Gets Anymore) [2025]
• Jeff Coffin - Saxophonist from Dave Matthews Band; horn section contributor (Love Is Gonna Get Ya) [2025]
• Anjelika 'Jelly' Joseph - Vocalist from Galactic; featured vocalist on collaborative tracks (Love Is Gonna Get Ya) [2025]
• Big Sam Williams - Tuba player from Dirty Dozen Brass Band; horn section contributor (Love Is Gonna Get Ya, Give It What You Can) [2024-2025]
• Craig Glaiberman - Bass guitarist; contributor to multiple Toyesauce recordings (Chicken, Flea Market) [2025]
• Emmanuel Echem - Horn section musician; featured on recent releases (Love Is Gonna Get Ya) [2025]
• Ivan Neville - Keyboardist and vocalist; featured on Meters tribute recordings (Give It What You Can) [2024]
• Tony Hall - Musician; collaborator on Meters tribute project (Give It What You Can) [2024]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Give It What You Can (Give It What You Can)
2. Good As It Gets Anymore (Good As It Gets Anymore)
3. The Burglar (The Burglar)
4. Yip Man - Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina's 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25))
5. Introduction - Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina's 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25))
6. Flea Market - Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina's 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25))
7. From The Barrel - Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina's 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25))
8. The Burglar - Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina's 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25))
9. I’ll Give It A Try - Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina's 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25))
10. Chicken - Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina's 6-5-25 (Live at Tipitina’s 6-5-25))

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found)
• MusicBrainz