Cookin' On 3 Burners

Comprising additional elements of jazz and street soul, Cookin’ on 3 Burners are a prestigious R&B group hailing from Melbourne, Australia. Originally made up of Hammond organ player Jake Mason, guitarist Lance Ferguson, and drummer Ivan Khatchoyan, the trio formed in 1997 after discovering they shared similar tastes in sound and genre. The three friends decided to form the band with traditional '50s- and '60s-era jazz and soul as its foundation, unified by the eclectic and prominent use of the Hammond organ, which went on to become one of the most definitive aspects of their sound; so much so that the group was also exclusively referred to as the "Hammond organ trio." The ensemble released their first 7" single, "Gravel Rash/Pie Warmer" on the Bamboo Shack label, eventually going on to join the roster of revered U.K. label, Freestyle, which put out their full-length debut, Baked, Broiled & Fried, in 2007. The trio then went on to tour and perform alongside a vast array of household acts such as Alice Russell, Quantic, Fat Freddy's Drop, and Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. Sometime thereafter, Ferguson left the group to focus on his own funk project, the Bamboos, and was replaced by Dan West. They released their second effort, Soul Messin’, in 2009 to huge success. The record received praise for its funk-infused and highly original cover of Gary Numan's monster hit, "Cars" while the album’s lead single, "This Girl," reached the number one spot on the U.K. iTunes R&B Chart. The group then returned in 2014 with their third record, Blind Bet, which met with further acclaim, most notably for its innovative use of string and horn arrangements, and an impressive host of featured artists including Daniel Merriweather, the Bamboos' vocalist Kylie Auldist, and the Cruel Sea frontman Tex Perkins. They went on to collaborate with Perkins once more on the 2015 single "The Writing’s on the Wall," which saw the group combine their trademark soul and jazz sound with Perkins’ widely recognized swampy blues-rock stylings. It was around this time that the group began working with the Australian hip-hop artist Mantra. The collaboration took the band in a new direction, introducing more hip-hop-based tempos and funk electro vibes to their mixes. Cookin' on 3 Burners continued to branch out further with their collaborations, working with prominent French electronic producer Kungs on a reworking of "This Girl," which also saw chart success in 2016. ~ Rob Wacey