For LMT Connection, Funk is the Final Frontier
It begins...
Veteran soul group LMT Connection has been turning music fans into full-blown funkateers for more than 33 years, playing over 6500 shows, helmed by a front man on the cusp of his 76th birthday. True masters of their craft, they've toured internationally and released seven self-produced albums independently, without the support of a record company.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Detroit, singer/guitarist Leroy Emmanuel was not only an active member of Motown's thriving music community at its height, supporting the likes of Marvin Gaye, Bohannon, and Bettye Lavette, but an influential artist in his own right, earning a significant cult following with his group The Fabulous Counts (Westbound Records). Not long after a serendipitous relocation to Niagara Falls, Canada, Emmanuel founded LMT Connection with drummer Mark Rogers and bassist John Irvine. The year was 1989 and the newly formed trio hit the ground running.
Right from the start, they adhered to a philosophy of playing every show with stadium concert intensity, regardless of attendance. This mantra manifested many opportunities for the band along the way, sharing the stage with Al Green, Tower of Power, jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, and blues legend BB King on his 80th birthday tour. In time, their original music found its way into the hands of producers, promoters and distributors in Europe, which opened new doors overseas, and connected LMT with the world-renowned Chops Horns.
The New Jersey-based horn section already had an impressive resume of their own; they had just come off the road with Alicia Keys and were known for having played with The Police, The Rolling Stones, and George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic, to name a few. In 2005, they joined LMT Connection for a month-long tour of Europe, adding keyboardist Joel Parisien to the mix, and doubling the original line-up to a now expanded six-piece. (As another note of interest, the same personnel, with Parisien up front, would go on to form a highly successful side project called Newworldson, garnering four Juno© nominations - the Canadian equivalent to a Grammy© - for Gospel Album of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013).
For LMT Connection, funk is truly the final frontier; the expedition progresses unabated, and the borders continue to be explored and re-drawn.
Recently Performed International Festivals:
tour
FRI MAY 3 Roc N Docs Port Credit 9P
SAT MAY 4 NIAGARA FALLS EXCHANGE 9P
THURS MAY 9 Spyce Lounge Niagara Falls 8P
SAT MAY 11 Luckys Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls 9P
MAY 18 Riverfest Felding Denmark w NWS
MAY 23 De Basiliek Veenendaal Netherlands w NWS
MAY 25-26 Big Church Festival England w NWS
FRI MAY 31 Seneca Casino Niagara Falls NY 7P
SAT JUNE 1 Luckys Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls 9P
SUN JUN 2 PRIVATE PICTON
FRI JUN 7 ST CATHARINES GOLF CLUB
SAT JUNE 8 Casbah Hamilton 3-6P
SAT JUNE 8 Luckys Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls 9P
SUN JUNE 9 CHIP N CHARLIES NIAGARA FALLS 5-8P
FRI JUN 14 Seneca Casino Niagara Falls NY 7P
SAT JUNE 15 Luckys Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls 9P
THURS JUNE 20 Luckys Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls 9P
FRI JUNE 21 Luckys Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls 9P
SAT JUNE 22 BRACEBRIDGE HALL
SUN JUNE 23 OLEES ST CATHARINES 3-7P
FRI JUN 28 Roc N Docs Port Credit 9P
SAT JUNE 29 Luckys Fallsview Casino Niagara Falls 9P
SUN JUNE 30 PRIVATE MUSKOKA