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    Fig Voices: Josh Klein of Funk Norris

    A guitarist from the age of 6, Josh Klein combines a unique blend of influences, multi-instrumental talents, and a mind wired for creation to fuel his musical projects. The Berklee grad learned early about the who’s who of classic rock—Hendrix, Zappa, The Beatles, and B.B. King—before getting into ska, punk and—oddly enough—jazz in its purest form.

     

    “Originally, jazz was not what we think of it today. It was a fusion of different and beautiful things. African drums, European harmony, slave songs, and joyous hymns all together making ‘that sound’ I knew and loved. Not to mention that each player individually brought with them their own culture, ideas, and expressions that made them sound like them,” Josh notes. “To this day, I find myself delving in as deep as I can, exploring the origins, and never being satisfied.”

     

    This love of experimentation—and of finding a unique voice—has allowed Josh to carve out a niche as one of the Lehigh Valley’s most intriguing musicians, as the mastermind behind one-man looping project, Hairy Dudini.

     

    “Dudini is almost like watching a live session recording, except there are no overdubs, no autotune, and no post-production. Just play, set it, and let the machine accompany as it does.”

     

    The solo project has evolved into a full band by the name of Funk Norris, whose sound is rooted in funk infused with African/Moroccan rhythms and Middle Eastern melodies, with accompanying projections of Kung Fu films onto the stage—all while the band is adorned in full martial arts uniforms.

     

    Most importantly, Josh and his bandmates are keeping enjoyment at the core of Funk Norris.

     

    “Everyone involved has the same goal in mind: let’s just play some great music and embrace the things we love. Who has time for anything more?!”

     

    Learn more about Josh Klein and his projects at joshkleinonline.com.