Tweed Funk Official Site

Tweed Funk is a Milwaukee-based band who has been grabbing the attention of many over the past few years, including hitting the Roots Music Report Top 20 Blues Albums Chart for two months and longer.

Festival Fixture Tweed Funk

Black Coffee has been played by every band (JD) has been in since it was written, yet no one brings justice to the lyrics better than Smokey with his sultry voice. JD with Smokey had the privilege to perform this song when they opened for Buddy Guy at Purdue University...I encourage you not to pass up the opportunity to see them.

On Fine Wine, the opening track, they provide R&B show band swagger on the strengths of lead vocalist Joseph "Smokey" Holman. Smokey is a seasoned pro, and it shows...His (JD Optekar) All Over You is a fiery freight train that features his exquisite work. Elsewhere, he shows a propensity for slinky funk, powerful blues licks, and overall expertise.

Smokey has a perfect soul voice, the trio of drums, bass and guitar create the infectious groove and the first-class guest musicians complete the cast. The result is a classic and worth listening to Soul Funk Rock Album.

This faultless cd, which shines with deep elegance and good taste from the beginning to the end. GREAT.

On Saturday night, blues legend Buddy Guy opened his concert at Loeb Playhouse with a short guitar solo and said that he and the band were going to play so funky, you could smell it. The show opened with Wisconsin act Tweed Funk. Frontman Smokey Holman was charismatic as he danced around the stage in his Sunday-best pastel purple suit.

Tweed Funk's JD Optekar is on the cover of the October issue of RockWired Magazine and profiled in 25 Guitarists You've Gotta Know!!!

With J.D. Optekar and producer Greg Koch supplying the guitar oomph, Tweed Funk takes the listener on an aural tour of various soul and blues roads without diluting any of the strength of those various avenues. Whether it's J.B. funk, old-school horn driven R&B, or a simple shuffle, the fellows know how to work it.

Smokey and J.D. Optekar of Tweed Funk talk to ROCKWiRED about their latest release, Love Is, working with producer Greg Koch, and finding the groove that has sustained them as a band.

Performing a muscular blend of blues and funk that evokes groups like the Kinsey Report, the Bone Shakers, Funkadelic, Living Colour, and early Red Hot Chili Peppers, this Milwaukee quartet knows how to lock into a groove with equal parts fury and finesse.

Tweed Funk has the setup and chemistry of a classic funk/soul/blues band, with a revitalized sense of creativity and respect for the listener. They understand the importance of making a song catchy, but not just maintaining the same four bars for five minutes. You've got to keep the listeners on their toes, you got to make them want more, make them NEED more, and Tweed Funk does just this with "Dancemaker".

So, are you ready for some funk tonight?

The quartet's sophomore outing (7 originals, 3 covers), buttressed by some code-red horns (mainly Jon Lovas and Kevin Klemme), dynamite organist Jimmy Voegeli and guitarist Greg Koch, proves most thrilling on numbers like the salutary shuffle 'Fine Wine', a rhythmic call-out called 'Dancemaker' (that Sam and Dave would have fun with), a Jimmy Reed styled, bluesy advisory titled 'Pick Em Early' (nice gritty guitar courtesy of Optekar) and the appropriately titled 'Fragile'.

Take a funky drummer, add in some slinky guitar, and a lead singer that’s been around the block a few times, and you’ve got a tasty combination - a simmering blend of blues, soul and funk. The core trio of Smokey on vocals, JD Optekar on guitar, and Marcus Gibbons on drums, is joined by guitar ace Greg Koch, who co-produced the record, and adds some killer fretwork

Tight like a drum. Excellent vocals, both lead and backup, and precise instrumentation. Great swinging tempo throughout with tasty smart leads. Fine effort by the whole band.

Love Is features strong arrangements and ace performances.

When an ensemble of music veterans comes together with a multitude of talent and a single objective the result can be magic. And that is certainly the case with Milwaukee, Wisconsin based band, Tweed Funk. This is a true soul band in the classic sense and they find themselves at the forefront of a soul/blues revival all across the country.

I loved the old school funk James Brown back from the dead vibe. I will play this on my show maybe add it to the playlist of the happy hour. I dig it man oh so funky.

From the opening strains of 'Fine Wine' Tweed Funk kicks out the jams with a funky back beat that features Smokey on vocals, and some tasty Carl Perkins styled guitar by JD Optekar in conjunction with a rolling horn section that work together quite harmoniously and most seriously funky!

The CD produced by Greg Koch contains seven original songs and three songs among which is a super funky version (but could it be otherwise?) "Sex Machine" by James Brown.