That Old Feelin'

That Old Feelin’ is emerging on the music scene as a band that brings you an original mix of blues, soul, and good old rock ‘n’ roll. The music world today may be far different than it was back in the day, but to the members of That Old Feelin’, that doesn’t mean that musicians should be compromising their values. For this band, music is what motivates and inspires every aspect of their lives. Whether they are on a big stage playing to a huge crowd or playing to passersby on the street, the excitement of the music is brought out and shared. The closeness to the music that this group of people share is displayed with each show they play, and anyone who witnesses a performance will know what it means to be connected to people and uplifted through music.

That Old Feelin’ is a five piece band, and with each member some unique influences are brought to the table. Slide players like Fred McDowell, Elmore James, Earl Hooker and Duane Allman heavily influence the guitar playing of Parker Richey, as well as the original masters like Buddy Guy and B.B. King shining through in the playing of Scotty Mlodzinski. Drummer Tony Papamarkakis and bassist Forrest Pettingill tend to take the band into funkier, and sometimes more rockin’ territory, with influences like James Brown, Jimmy Smith, The Meters, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the Black Keys. Hanna Leess is a vocalist that evokes the spirit of soul masters like Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Solomon Burke, while bringing uniqueness to her voice that is certainly only hers. While showing respect musically to the people who have influenced them, the band has created their own approach to music that comes from strong originality in songwriting and complete dedication to the mastery of the instruments they use. Some people call it soul, some people call it blues, and some say its rock ’n’ roll. That Old Feelin’ may just be all of that, with a healthy dose of funk thrown into the mix.

While the band is based out of Boston, they have begun to concentrate more on traveling to play. Familiar with many of the legendary venues in Boston, New York City, and other towns in the Northeast area, the band has been moving beyond and stretching out to places as far as New Orleans to share their music. With every new destination reached there is music to be discovered, and That Old Feelin’ is on a lifelong musical journey. Their goal is to keep pushing and reaching out for new heights with their music, and whether that means drawing from the well of inspiration provided by the early roots masters and creators, or discovering something totally new or off the beaten path, That Old Feelin’ will never stop looking for new ways to bring originality and meaning to their music.