The Tonalists
Based in Melbourne
About this act
The Tonalists are a soul blues trio from Brunswick built around Hammond organ, guitar, lap steel and piano, playing rhythms that sit somewhere between swamp boogie and Memphis soul. Mick Coll handles keys and vocals, Jason Kain plays guitars, Nigel Wright is on drums and vocals, and Mick and Jason share the bass between them. The set list draws on Lou Donaldson, Leon Russell, Gil Scott-Heron and Billy Preston, alongside a growing pile of originals written in the same tradition. That is a specific and well-chosen songbook.