Revi Roza of The Rozatones: The Interview

In 2006, singer and guitarist Revi Roza formed The Rozatones, a killer funk band, with some fellow Ithaca College students.  There are a lot of things I like about this band. One is that they bring together their influences (jazz, soul, rock and hip-hop) into a very sonically pleasing, and nonpareil, blend. Another very important element is that this band is tight. The horns, bass, drums, vocals, keyboards, and guitar work together in a way that makes you think they have been playing together for a much longer time than they have. All the musicians in this band have chops to spare. Also, Revi Roza is not only a great guitarist. Her vocals are super-soulful, too.

2007 brought the release of the band’s first album, “Taste So Good,” which was voted best funk album in the Ithaca Times that year.  Since then, they have been rehearsing and playing out, and even appeared on Good Morning America last August, and opening for Soul Live at the State Theatre in February 2008. This winter they recorded their second album, which is slated to be released this spring.

The Rozatones are such a great young band, and fortunately play around town regularly, so you have no excuse not to get out and see them live. As Revi says in the interview, “You really have to see us to understand what the fuss is about!” And since The Rozatones’ next gig—at Castaways on March 19—celebrates Revi’s birthday it will undoubtedly be even more ripping. Syracuse’s funk hip-hoppers Sophistafunk open the show.

Tompkins weekly got the change to ask Revi Roza some questions.
Dynamic Meter: When did you start playing guitar?
Revi Roza: I started playing guitar when I was thirteen years old.

DM: How did you get interested in funk and soul music? It isn’t really what’s out there for upcoming musicians to hear.
RR: In high school I was really into Phish who incorporate funk into their music. On top of that, my brother’s friend and now my good friend and keyboard player, Adam Gold, basically showed me all the was of the funk from an early age.

DM: Did you grow up in a musical household?
RR: My father has a musical soul; he plays guitar, organ, percussion and sings.  He taught me my first guitar chords and has always supported my music endeavors.

DM: How did the band come together?
RR: My freshman year at Ithaca [College], I was playing with whoever I could to start a band with and met some really great people.  I started writing music with Miles Crettien, my bassist and good friend.  Then I asked my other friend Mikey Conerty if he would play trumpet with us, and later through mutual friends, we found Byard Duncan to play drums with us.  The next year we would add Sam Podell on sax.

DM: When did you start writing your own music? And does each member of the band write her or his own part? How do the arrangements come together?
RR: I’d been writing music as soon as I could sing.  There are actually home videos of me singing my first song “Chikia Mikia” at the age of three . . . its pretty funny stuff.  I wrote my first song on guitar when I was fourteen and couldn’t stop after that.  Each member of the band has serious talent and brings so many flavors to my songs.  We all work together to write the best arrangements for my songs.  After playing with them for so long, their styles have become a part of the way I write and they always bring the best out of the material.

DM: You’re a senior at IC. What are your plans for the band after graduation?
RR: It’s a very big transition period.  Right now we’re all trying to figure out when we want to be in terms of finding careers.  Once we do that I’m sure we’ll find ways to continue to make music and perform, because for us, performance has always been the most important aspect of our music.  You really have to see us to understand what the fuss is about!

DM: Please tell me about your influences.
RR: My influences are a great big jumble of genres and artists.  I listen to a lot of R&B, funk and jazz.  Musically, I take a lot of influence from Ani Difranco, Fiona Apple, Jill Scott, Jamiroquai, and Sly and the Family Stone.  I’m also a huge Beatles and Bob Dylan fan and I think that finds its way into my music as well.

DM: What music are you digging now?
RR: Most recently I’ve been really into Van Hunt, Avishai Cohen, Fiona Apple, Jamiroquai, Bilal, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Erykah Badu.