The Fabulous Red Diesel

The Fabulous Red Diesel will sweep you off your feet. Kat Lee-Ryan belts out raw soul with Bush/Mitchel-esque lyrics over the grooviest arrangements of original funk, latin, soul ,gypsy punk and swing. There are trumpets, a flute and even a tuba when one is required. You come away from a gig feeling like you have met friends, the vibe is so infectious. You will smile like a loon, sing along and dance like nobody's watching.
They recently opened for the amazing James Taylor Quartet, have played the Cheltenham and , Sidmouth Jazz Festivals, and are due to play Rye Jazz festival later this year .They sold out Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts in April, and their 7th Album, The Queensbury House Sessions has been playlisted on Jazz FM .
Their 3rd album was mixed by Phill Brown (Are We Still Rolling ?)
The band is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Wil and Kat Lee-Ryan. Kat ,vocally trained by Doreen Thobekile of Transglobal Underground, has a unique and arresting vocal presence. Her lyrics are starkly honest and poetic ; and the tunes have the structural strength of Gershwin and Porter. Wil is rooted in the soul and hip -hop of North London,playing percussion for Noel McCallah,and growing up with Jazzy B, Soul to Soul and Light of the world. He plays the vocal lines on the kit, and the result is truly breathtaking.
The Fabulous Red Diesel are currently in the studio, recording their 9th album. There is a new live album in the pipeline too, and they have received funding from Help Musicians’ MOBO fund, and the Arts Council.

‘’This band has made it onto my list of bands I need to see live as soon as I physically can’’ Deb Grant-Jazz FM
‘’quirky, funky, groovy and has such a deliciously jazzy under slurp‘’ Sammy Stein
‘’a beguiling mix of smoky jazz and achingly swooning soul,’’ Jazz Chill
‘’their unique sound, fusing classic 60s soul with jazz arrangements and a rhythm section which can skip from hip-hop beats to Latin to funk.’’ With Guitars
‘’a voice with the call of the sirens and a hot handle on the blues. Kat Lee-Ryan, from the saucy band The Fabulous Red Diesel, belts out stark and original lyrics with soul-felt tonality.'' Debbie Bourke
‘’Zog, Shimmering and utterly unpredictable’’- The Guardian