Ettie Street Project

Ettie Street Project fuses the worlds of funk, jazz, and electronica into a sound that is expansive and multilayered. Guitar, vocals, bass, drums, and synths make up the raw live elements, while live looping creates atmospheric textures and melodies over a deep groove. Their audiences are moved by danceable beats, eclectic sounds, and solid musicianship fueling the high energy shows.
The musical collaboration between guitarist Tom Lattanand and bassist Rob Gwin began with sonic experiments in an Oakland warehouse. Having their own venue to test new ideas and gadgets, Tom and Rob used live instruments with loopers and synths to improvise compositions on the spot. At first, these performances utilized electronic beats as a foundation of the groove, but it did not take long to incorporate a live drummer in Damon Hope to complete the group.
The music evolved from layers of sound over loose forms to more tightly arranged compositions in this trio format. Drawing from their wide mix of influences, Ettie Street Project started producing sounds that were more melodic while pushing the envelope with the new tools available to them. The meeting of music and technology pushed this trio in new directions, yet they continued to bring it back to its organic roots.
The members of Ettie Sreet Project have been steady figures in the Bay Area music scene for more than a decade. Tom Lattanand was a founding member of the Jazz/Fusion/Funk group Mood Food, while Rob Gwin was a founding member of the live electronic group Kooken and Hoomen. Damon Hope played drums for the Merl Saunders Rainforest band, then later joined Mood Food. Most recently these three musicians have individually worked with groups such as The May Fire, Aphrodesia, Edna Love Fat Tuesday Band, and Germart's Planet Booty.