Headed by Snarky Puppy’s multi-Grammy–winning percussion duo of Robert “Sput” Searight & Nate Werth, Ghost-Note is a complete explosion of sound. With an expansive roster of next-level musicians—representing members of Prince, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, Marcus Miller, Toto, Justin Timberlake, and more—the band is pushing funk music into the future, building on the uplifting, pioneering foundations laid out by the likes of James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone and infusing their fresh take with tastes of afrobeat, hip-hop, psychedelia, world folklore, and more. After forming in 2015, Ghost-Note has already begun to take the world by storm. The group’s two studio albums—2018’s Swagism and 2015’s Fortified—have earned critical acclaim and popular success around the globe, with both albums hitting the #1 spot on the iTunes Jazz Charts. The most recent album Mustard n’onions (2024) via Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Music Group is a complete banger from start to end. Continuing to tour the world after the release of this highly acclaimed album, Ghost-Note is a tour de force of funk with dazzling solos and air-tight arrangements that will have any crowd dancing.
I had the opportunity to get some time with ‘Sput’ ahead of the December 11th event here in Madison at High Noon Saloon. We paint the picture of what a Ghost Note vibe will be like, including a run down of each member of the group. It was no surprise to hear, but still a treat to get to hear ‘Sput’ talk about his mentorship to new artists throughout his career, the several connections to Prince and other innovative people in the funk (and beyond) scenes and some of the differences between this group and being a part of Snarky Puppy. We dive ear first into Ghost Notes latest release, Mustard n’onions, and how it went from concept to release. It was fun to talk about and hear about a couple of the special guests that appear on the album and how this record fits into the times of the day. I could not let him go without getting to ask just some of those artists that he listens to to give him some healing and we hear about some of the OGs….but the imagery he paints about the band and sharing playlists, felt like a smiling rising.
