Hearing Aide: Lettuce ‘Witches Stew’

In the shadows beyond darkness and light, the ghost of Miles Davis begins to take flight. Swirling and blaring a trumpeter we know. A new face in the cauldron begins to show. With funk and synth and guitar riffs anew, out of the fire comes Lettuce’s Witches Stew.

lettuce witches stew

On October 13, just in time for Halloween, funk powerhouse Lettuce will release a new live album that pays tribute to the late Miles Davis, one of the band’s biggest and most beloved influences.

Witches Stew is Lettuce’s eerie and psychedelic take on seven of Davis’ songs. As did the breakthrough 1970 album, Bitches Brew, Lettuce pairs their own funky guitar riffs and electronic keyboard with improvisational trumpet and saxophone.

Recorded at the 2016 Catskill Chill Music Festival in Lakewood, PA, the album is a haunting mix of both jazz and funk that breathes new life into Davis’ tracks. “Shhh/Peaceful” was released as a single on September 29 marking the 26th anniversary of his death.

A ghostly presence is felt throughout the album allowing the listener to lose themselves in the hypnotic and haunting grooves. A far cry from the days of Rage! and Fly, this album is more exploratory in nature with similarities to their most recent EP Mt. Crushmore.

Witches Stew is the perfect soundtrack to a crisp fall night, sure to cast a spell on listeners old and young.

Key tracks: Shhh/Peaceful, Sivad, Black Satin

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