The Motet
| The Motet | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Denver, Colorado |
| Genres | Funk, rock, jazz, Afro-beat |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | aNOnym reCOrds, Harmonized Records |
| Website | www |
| Members | Dave Watts, Ryan Jalbert, Joey Porter, Garrett Sayers, Gabriel Mervine, Drew Sayers, Lyle Divinsky |
| Past members | Dominic Lalli, Jans Ingber, Matt Pitts, Mike Tiernen, Kurt Reeber, Steve Vidiac, Scott Messersmith, Gregoire Raymond, Mark Donovan, Adam Revell, Matt Spencer |
The Motet is an American funk, afrobeat and jazz influenced group based in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1998 by drummer and bandleader Dave Watts, The Motet is Watts, guitarist Ryan Jalbert, bassist Garrett Sayers, keyboardist Joey Porter, trumpeter Gabe Mervine, vocalist Lyle Divinsky, and saxophonist Drew Sayers.
Known for energetic live shows including an annual Halloween concert, the band has released seven studio albums. Their 2014 self-titled album was co-written and produced by all the band members, and was cut on analog recording equipment to capture their instruments' live sounds. The newest album, Totem, was released July 8th, 2016. They continue to tour nationally and have performed at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Electric Forest Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, North Coast Music Festival, Wakarusa and Summer Camp Festival.
The Dave Watts Motet was founded in Boulder, Colorado, in 1998 by drummer and arranger Dave Watts as a musical collective with a rotating cast of musicians. By 2000 the group had changed its name to The Motet and become a sextet consisting of Watts on drums, percussionist and vocalist Jans Ingber, percussionist Scott Messersmith, guitarist Mike Tiernen, bassist Kurt Reeber, and organist-keyboardist Steve Vidiac. Watts, Ingber, and Messersmith had also traveled to Cuba twice to study bata drums of the Santeria religion, which at the time heavily influenced the band's sound, as can be heard on their first two albums.
The Dave Watts Motet first performed together on Halloween 1998, and at that time were incorporating elements of funk, jazz, folk, and world music into their sound. Watts wrote and arranged the majority of their early music for a rotating lineup of musicians, throwing energetic local dance parties. Their debut release, Breathe, was self-released in 1999, and produced entirely by Watts.
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