Winslow has people talking

The group is trying to be ‘fresh and new.’

By JOHN BENSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

When a Kent-based group of young musicians first started playing out a few years ago, the soul-funk-rock cover outfit named itself 1959.

However, in doing so, there was a preconceived notion among bar owners and interested music folk that 1959 was more like a walk down memory lane for aging baby boomers than a group on the rise.

Soon the band started playing original material and eventually changed its moniker to Winslow. The name also has people talking.

“I do love [Cleveland Browns player] Kellen Winslow II, but that’s not why we changed the name,” said Maurice Martin, a native of Conneaut. “What it was, being named 1959, people thought we were a bunch of older guys, and we’re a bunch of 20-somethings.

“So we decided to change our name to something that sounded right, and we actually decided not to tell where our name came from.”

Musically, that’s not the case with Winslow. It’s pretty easy to see where the band comes from influence-wise with its Parliament-Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder and Average White Band roots and Jamiroquai-meets-Maroon 5 contemporary edge. 

“Even though we do have a lot of old-school vibe in our sound, we’re trying to do something fresh and new,” Martin said. “We want people to think that we’re up and coming, the next big thing.”

And in Martin’s eyes, Winslow will begin its journey from obscurity to hopefully the next big thing this March with the release of its debut studio effort, “Crazy Kind of Love.” The album is the band’s first for its new record label FTF Records, which was originally based in Champion but has since moved its operations to Akron.

“We’re just finishing the album this week,” Martin said. “We have keyboard player Bernie Worrell from Parliament/Funkadelic playing on it. We’re really exited about it, and I think a lot of people will have some open eyes after it’s all said and done.”

Already you could argue the members of Winslow have been opening people’s eyes around Northeast Ohio. Not only did the group win the “Molson Battle of the Bands” last September at the House of Blues in Cleveland, but the band has been playing pretty steady around the area, including a memorable performance last summer at “Vexfest” in Youngstown. Winslow returns to Youngstown on Friday for a show at Barley’s.

“Honestly, we’re doing something that not a lot of people are doing around the country,” said Martin, who hopes Winslow will tour regionally this summer. “We bring high energy and good musicianship at the same time. It’s basically, we’re going to entertain you and at the end of the night, we’re going to make you dance. So we guarantee when people come to our shows, they’ll have a good time.”

He added, “Our music is very relatable. Whether you’re young or old, it has so many different influences and vibes to it that it’s catchy no matter who you are.”