Let ’em cook has become one of those phrases that has stuck in the parlance of our times for good reason. Cooking is an absolute art form. It’s science, witchcraft, and alchemy all blended into a literal (and hopefully) delicious creation. Allowing people to “cook” and concoct beautiful creations.
With their latest album, aptly titled Cook, finds the stalwart funk and soul band in the kitchen cooking up potentially one of their best records to date (a tall order considering the majesty that is 2015’s Crush) as well as providing a multimedia promotion for the album which include a cook book, album-specific wines and special cooking videos. The band, with this album and its rollout, are not just doing something gimmick to catch your eye. No, they are inviting you into their world by preparing you a delicious, honest, meaningful meal.
We spoke with Lettuce drummer Adam Deitch about the band’s new album Cook which includes a cookbook and wine pairing, a Berklee scholarship with their name on it and working with Tower of Power.
How do you feel Cook stands out from the rest of the band’s catalog — which is an amazing collection of albums.
Cook was written and recorded during a golden era of the band. We are doing well, the sound is developing, the writing is better and more collaborative, the communications and brotherhood is at an all time high. This album reflects that.
“Keep On” was co-written by Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power. For those who may only know the name, or maybe not even know the band at all, can you discuss the influence Tower of Power has on Lettuce, and the music industry as a whole?
Tower of Power is a band we can all agree was a part of our early childhood musical development. They have been around 50 years and they have an original take on Soul and Funk music. They are on our the Mount Rushmore of bands including Kool and the Gang, The Headhunters, EWF and the JBs.
In the same vein, can you discuss how you got Emilio to come onto the song, and how you all feel about the song now that it’s out for mass consumption.
Emilio, the official leader of TOP has been very encouraging to us over the years. I got to jam with Rocco Prestia when I was 22 years old. I also took one lesson with David Garibaldi when I was 12 and that left a lasting impression on my style. Emilio sparked the lyrical theme which was then re done by Nigel and the other guys.
The band really went all out with Cook — publishing a recipe book with wine pairings, releasing a special wine to commemorate the release and releasing a YouTube series with friends like Snacktime’s Sam Gellerstein. Why go all out for the release of this record?
We really dig healthy good food and natural pesticide free wine. Cooking is an art form and pairs well with the right music. We wanted to encapsulate that.
Speaking of the recipe book, what are some of the best dishes one could find in here?
Every recipe is a family recipe that we all love and want our fans to try them out and maybe elaborate on. My dad’s Caesar is divine — “Bobby’s Caesar!”
In regard to the wine pairings, talk about the mindset going into these pairings. Was this a band decision, an individual decision, an outside decision?
We basically have two sommelier’s in the band (our horn section) who distribute their favorite wines in Colorado. We defer to them for the pairings. They’ve spent countless hours after shows reading wine books to truly understand every aspect of the process.
In the press release about the album it says, “Cook isn’t just a nod to Lettuce’s musical heat; it’s an invitation to join the band at the table, where funk, soul, jazz, rock, and hip-hop come together in one rich, flavorful dish.” This is a really wonderful sentiment; I would love to know how important the inclusion of the audience’s tastes in this record are to you.
We are the chefs serving a healthy meal of organic delicious soul music free of A.I., “big time” songwriters, sappy boring lyrics, and attempts at pop crossover tunes.
Lettuce also started a scholarship in conjunction with Music is a Language, where a student could attend Berklee College of Music. How did this opportunity come about?
I happened to randomly meet B. Moore who expressed to me that he had a non-profit available to help kids get into great musical situations. I was very excited about the opportunity and passed it to our management which secured the Berklee five-week scholarship in our name. That is where we all met so it has great meaning to us.
For more on the Lettuce Scholarship, click here.
Lettuce has been a band for over 30 years. What is it about this band, this collection of musicians, that you love?
30 year plus friendships have their ups and downs, but the music always has its consistency. The feeling of playing together is almost always 100% ecstasy and that propels us to be better humans. We also check each other and check ON each other frequently.
Finally, outside of the album release, what are five things you’re excited about for Lettuce in the coming year?
Smart touring, bigger shows, making music with my brothers, exploring south America and eastern Europe, and making things as funky as possible while inspiring Inquiring minds.
