Groove Spoon Punches out Funk, Jazz, and Soul

February 2010

If you attended the School of Music, Theatre & Dance’s annual Collage concert on January 16, you may have wondered about the group that kicked off the second half. They’re called Groove Spoon and they’ve been performing for the past three years, in various iterations. This year, Jack Stratton, Performing Arts Technology student and drummer, is the organizing force behind this rock steady ensemble.

Groove Spoon is a ten-piece funk, jazz, & soul band that performs around Ann Arbor, most recently at the Canterbury House. New this year is lead singer Antwaun Stanley, a senior with a growing career as a gospel singer. “Obviously Antwaun’s participation is key,” says Stratton, who has high praise for all the players. “He’s, like, the king!”

Back-up singer Hannah Winkler, who has performed on and off with Groove Spoon over the years, and Emily Berman, theatre major and new this year, add harmony and nuance to Antwaun’s lead vocals. A horn section—Andy Warren, Sam Crittenden, and Chris Hernacki—adds extra punch to the mix, while Mike Malis’s sophisticated jazz keyboards take things up another notch. Joe Dart on bass guitar, brings the funk to the mix, and Justin Douglas, an art history major, clearly knows his way around the guitar.

If you’ve seen them perform, you can tell they’re having F-U-N. Along with their tight arrangements, their joy-filled performances bring audiences to their feet. Their following has been growing from an original loyal base of theatre and musical theatre fans as word about them gets around.

The number Groove Spoon performed at Collage is called Simple Step. “It showcases what Antwaun does, like boom,” says Stratton, “so that’s why we love doing that tune.” Simple Step was written by Jack Stratton, Justin Douglas, and Antwaun Stanley, but he shares credit with the whole band who all added their expertise to the final mix. To hear Simple Step again and to find out about future appearances, visit Groove Spoon’s Web site at http://grvspn.com.