Will Rast & THE FUNK ARK

"One of the most dynamic and funky pianists to play a nightclub in Savannah in years, this Washington, D.C.-based artist plays in Grammy-winning R&B vocalist Mya's touring band and leads his own group of ace players." Will's three-night gig provided "one of the best weekends of live jazz downtown we will see this year ... ."
- Jim Reed,
Savannah Connect
DC-based keyboard wizard Will Rast has been delighting audiences for more than 20 years with his extraordinary piano virtuosity and distinctive style. At 30, Rast has become a groundbreaking force on the contemporary jazz funk scene.
Rast appears regularly in the Mid-Atlantic and nationwide and internationally with a variety of popular acts, including his own Funk Afro-Beat ensemble, The Funk Ark, which released its debut album From the Rooftops on ESL Records June 14. 2011.
The Funk Ark is a world funk ensemble based in Washington, D.C. The group draws on influences from the African and Latin funk/dance music scenes of the 1960s and '70s and the result is a gritty and soulful mix of inspired afrobeat and big band funk. Keyboardist and songwriter Will Rast is well known for his work as a touring sideman and studio musician with a veritable encyclopedia of artists both locally and internationally, including grammy winner Mya, Federico Aubele, Natalia Clavier, Ocote Soul Sounds, RAMP, grammy nominee Raheem Devaughn and Justin Jones. The coming year will find him playing on no less than five records produced for the ESL Label, including The Funk Ark's From the Rooftops, as well as albums by Thievery Corporation, Frank Mitchell Jr., and Ocote Soul Sounds, featuring Martin Perna of Antibalas and Adrian Quesada of the Grammy winning Austin-based Grupo Fantasma.

THE FUNK ARK: Matt Rippetoe, Joe Hererra, Elijah Balbed, Greg Boyer, Jeff Franca, Marc Blackwood, Greg Loman, Josh Kay Rodney Richardson and Will Rast with special guest, Morgan Price.
Click on the link below to check out Will Rast & Friends' recent appearance at Washington, D.C.'s legendary "Bohemian Caverns!" jazz club.
