Smoothing the grooves between 'fun' and 'funky'

One day, VH1 will have a field day with Addison Groove Project.

I could see it now:"This wonderfully talented group of high school musicians didn't know whether to give up their musical journey for collegiate life or not. So, they did the next best thing: They all went to college in the same town!"

And that's how it all went down. After the band received the top honors at WBCN (Boston)'s 1997 High School Battle of the Bands contest, they decided to do what most high school bands don't — stay together. By opting to attend nearby colleges in the northeast — University of Southern Maine, Skidmore College, Brown University, Boston University and the Hartt School of Music — AGP have been able to do much more than just stay together.

They have grown into a well-practiced, super-funkadelic, "take this groovy beat and dance" band of professional caliber.

During the past five years the band has toured extensively up and down the east coast, selling out giant venues like New York's Knitting Factory and Boston's Fleet Pavilion while taking the stage with such giants as Maceo Parker and Parliament Funkadelic.

Just what is the Addison Groove Project? They are thumping bass lines (John Hall), rich keyboard textures (Rob Marscher), crisp syncopated beats (Andrew Keith), jazz and funk tinged guitar chords (Brendan McGinn) and infectious horn improvisations (Dave Adams and Ben Groppe).

They've been described as a both jam band and a funk band in the past, but neither term seems to fit just right.

Sure they jam out and often take on extensive measures of improvisation, but this band is no loose-structured, anything-goes Phish or Grateful Dead. And, sure, they have a definite funk-based feel, but this doesn't mean that you are gonna see George Clinton-esque funk-fests. This band has a little bit more than all that.

The members of Addison Groove Project focus their performances both on structure and improvisation. It isn't unusual for sets to last for nearly three hours, chock-full of riffing and call-and-response musicianship, in which the instruments seem to become communicating.

Yet, somewhere within the band's set is a common mindset as each member works with each other rather than trying to outdo each other.

Each song seems to flow into the next, creating a great vibe of continual entertainment. AGP can give you the "man this song is so smooth" feeling, and then turn it up and out to create the "I gotta dance. Right now!" feeling as well. Overall, they are a great band. Period.

The band is in the middle of a fall tour to promote their recently released live album, "Wicked Live." The tour will take them down the coast once more.

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The album, which is a follow-up to their self-titled debut, was recorded at a show in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. about a year ago. While the album does much to display the band's undeniable talents, it doesn't do AGP justice.

The live show that the band puts on is truly one of a kind — a mixture of good vibrations, head-swirling melodies, and lots and lots of dancing.

The future is bright for this band. In a music world dominated by bubble gum pop acts and heavy uninspired music, this band is making waves by staying true to the music and putting the "fun" back in "funky."