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Keep That Funk

By T. Ballard Lesemann
Charleston City Paper | November 22, 2005
"This band is now an occasional thing," says Scott "Mookie" Quattlebaum, of longtime Charleston band Uncle Mingo. "We never really said good-bye. I don't think any of us mean to kick it back like we were. But we are recording a new album in my studio at home. It's really re-sparked us all and the new songs sound great."

Uncle Mingo first started gigging around town in 1989. Quattlebaum, a hotshot lead guitarist since his high school days in Charleston, was a founding member of the band. He played for years until splitting after a fist-fight scuffle on a particularly tense tour in 1998 ("It's all really good Behind the Music kind of stuff," he says). He returned to the band a year later in time to record their final album, Full Circle.

The classic Mingo lineup -- Quattlebaum on vocals and guitar, Bryan "Mo" Moore on vocals and bass, drummer Robert Thorn, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jason Moore -- make a fall season appearance this weekend at the Windjammer. They made a surprise appearance in April during this year's Party at the Point series and have stayed busy on the weekends writing, recording, and rehearsing new material for a forthcoming album.

"The music was always changing from the start," says Quattlebaum. "We were starting to go more pop at the end. It was always groove-oriented, but it was becoming more like a funky Van Morrison type of thing. We never really captured what we were writing when we recorded in the studios. That’s why we're so excited about what we’re doing in my studio right now.

"For me, it’s been great getting back to playing," he adds. "That whole creative process in the studio and with the band is terrific. We did more than I ever thought we would do, so I have no regrets. I'm just excited to play like we're doing now."
Tags: Full Circle, Scott Quattlebaum, Uncle Mingo

Charleston City Paper

Founded in 1997, the locally owned and operated City Paper is Charleston's only weekly alternative newspaper and the second-largest publication in the metro Charleston area. Reaching a strong mix of active, affluent locals and tourists, the City Paper has thrived...
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