The Hog Branch Groove Band & Jessy Dorsett specializes in funky soul, r&b, and dance music from the 1960s to the present. We place our own contemporary spin on classic dance tracks and slow grooves, as well as putting an old-school soul spin on contemporary pop songs. We guarantee danceability the whole night through!
Hog Branch Groove Band and Jessy Dorsett are available for weddings, parties, festivals, clubs, and events. We can tailor or band and set to your event.
Besides our standard club act, we can perform small acoustic shows or full band shows (with added horn section and backup singers, if required), and the band is also available for instrumental performances.
BOOKING: Call Rick for more information at 512-363-8838 or email us here. Thanks, and groove on!
SONGS
Here's a partial list of songs we play & artists we love. Remember that we can learn your requests ahead of time -- so let us know what you want when you're booking a show.
Higher Ground, I Wish: Stevie Wonder Valerie: Amy Winehouse Killing Me Softly, Can't Take My Eyes Off You: Lauryn Hill/Fugees Fire on the Bayou: The Meters Chain of Fools: Aretha Some Kind of Wonderful: Joss Stone Tell Me Something Good: Chaka Khan/Rufus I Don't Need No Doctor, Vultures: John Mayer/John Scofield
Dock of the Bay: Otis Redding Chameleon/Canteloupe Island: Herbie Hancock If You Want Me To Stay: Sly & the Family Stone Let's Take a Walk: Rafael Saadiq Spanish Joint: D'Angelo Give Me One Reason: Tracy Chapman Let's Stay Together: Al Greene The Sweetest Taboo: Sade Rock With You: Michael Jackson Cosmic Girl: Jamiroquai Come & Get Your Love: Redbone Use Me Up: Bill WIthers Heal Yourself: Ruthie Foster
If you want to preview songs posted below, just hit the Pause or Stop button
on the Site-Wide Player on the bottom left of the page. Groove on, y'all.
Recorded during only our second performance, this live bootleg of the Hog Branch Groove Band (featuring Jessy Dorsett) showcases the raw fire and talent of the assembled musicians. Besides Jessy on vocals and Rick on bass, Matt Danko hammers home the drum grooves, Ben Naecker rips blistering solos, and Blake West churns out funky keyboard commotion. Nick Andrews also sits in on guitar and burns up "Love Me Like a Man." Recorded and mixed by Joe Lynch. NOTE: Royalties will be paid by Hog Branch Productions on all sales of copyrighted materials.
This off-the-board bootleg was recorded at the Dizzy Rooster in Austin by Joe Lynch on Feb 22, 2010, at only our second gig. It captures the electricity of musicians working together while the music is still fresh; hence a few mis-steps too, but that's what live music is all about. Vocals: Jessy Dorsett. Drums: Matt Danko. Guitar: Ben Naecker. Keys: Blake West. Bass: Rick Watson. "Some Kind of Wonderful" was written in 1967 by John Ellison, front man of the Soul Brothers Six, on a paper bag in which his girlfriend had packed his lunch for the bus ride from Rochester, NY, to Philadelphia to play a show.
Vocals: Jessy Dorsett. Drums: Matt Danko. Guitar: Ben Naecker. Keys: Blake West. Bass: Rick Watson. "I Don't Need No Doctor" was written in 1966 by Ray Charles. Our version was inspired by John Scofields' 2005 recording.
This track features guest guitarist Nick Andrews wailing away on a Bonnie Raitt classic. Vocals: Jessy Dorsett. Drums: Matt Danko. Keys: Blake West. Bass: Rick Watson. "Love Me like a Man" was written in the late 1960s by Bonnie's friend, songwriter/bluesman Chris Smither.
Vocals: Jessy Dorsett. Drums: Matt Danko. Guitar: Ben Naecker. Keys: Blake West. Bass: Rick Watson. "Give Me One Reason" was written in 1995 by Tracy Chapman.
These three tracks are just rough mixes of songs we're currently tracking for Jessy's debut album. They have some unfinished guitar, bass, and keyboard parts on them. No drums yet, and the vocals haven't been comped. Still, they'll give you a good idea what this soulful young vocalist is all about. Catch her live in Austin while you can!
Matt Danko (drums) hails from Cleveland & comes to Austin by way of Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. Matt keeps the groove in play mode.
Jessy Dorsett (vocals), a Berklee - Boston graduate, grew up in Connecticut & moved to Austin from Portland, Maine. Jessy fronted JD & the Boys in Portland.
Ben Naecker (guitar) is a Los Angeles native who studied in Phiadelphia before moving to Austin. Ben formed Satellite Heights in Philly.
Rick Watson (bass) grew up in Hog Branch, Louisiana, and honed his chops in NYC.
Blake West (keys) is a Baltimore native who studied at U Penn in Philadelphia. Blake joined Ben's band Satellite Heights in Philly while in college.
OUR SUPER SUBS
These super-duper musicians occasionally sit in with Hog Branch Groove Band and on Jessy Dorsett's originals shows.
Nick "Man-Diva" Andrews (guitar) grew up in Mission, Texas, and graduated from Musician's Institute in Los Angeles. Nick plays with the Dean Seltzer Band.
Mark "Gentle Giant" Woodruff (drums/vocals), a Texas native, sings lead for the bands "Airwave '80s" and Austin's Elvis Costello tribute "The Costellophones" and plays drums for the Carport Casanovas.
Austin "Champagne Jam" Kimble (keys), grew up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and sports a degree from the University of Texas in Jazz Performance. Austin was recently nominated for the prestigious Cole Porter Jazz Piano Fellowship!
Greasy, funky, soulful, jazzy, booty-moving music from some of the top talent in Austin!
