Sass

Popular NYC showband which performed in clubs throughout NYC, Rhode Island, New Jersey (including the Stone Pony). They were back up band for The Coasters and Chuck Berry, playing Madison Square Garden. Later the group was to become part of NYC’s “No Wave” movement featured as a “Punk Funk” element, and they performed with James White & The Blacks at the Peppermint Lounge, as well as other official and unofficial Bowery Clubs. They shared a 2 month stint of Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at the “Queens College Rathskellar” events with a girl named “Madonna”. The band held court at famous New York clubs such as Leviticus and was one of the house bands at “The Cellar,” home of Kinky Foxx (Johnny Kemp, Timmy Allen) and Platinum Hook (Bobby Douglas). The funkified sounds of Jack Sass was largely based on 70s Funk, British Punk and they shared many similiarities to Rick James & Prince and the Minneapolis sound (although at the time they had no knowledge of their common sensibilities). Some of their recordings were an attempt to tone down the rockin’ dirty funk to a more polished smooth sound at the yearning of their engineers & producer. The band had several incarnations and line ups, the latter including members from various “Jamaica Queens” bands. The name came from their motto: “Jack Sass Kicks A**.”