Khris Royal and Dark Matter bring Gumbo of music to Donegal Saloon
By Anthony J. Machcinski
The reputation of the music scene in New Orleans is great enough that thousands of people will take vacations to the Big Easy in order to witness some of the greatest performances of our generations. Those unable to make that pilgrimage lucked out when Donegal Saloon in Kearny hosted Khris Royal and Dark Matter on April 21.
The ever-talented Royal, who hails from the Crescent City, is a saxophone player who has become one of the up and coming musicians in this generation. With a passion to play since he was seven years old, Royal didn’t originally want to play the saxophone.
“I wanted to play trombone “The guy at the store said, ‘Your arms are too short (to play the trombone). So my mom suggested, “Well, if you’re not going to play the trombone, you should play the sax. Girls like the sax.”
Royal developed a love eventually had one of his early breakouts when going to see famous R&B and jazz singer Erykah Badu.
“I wanted to see Erykah Badu when she came to New Orleans when I was in high school, but I was too young to get into the show,” Royal explained. “Through an internship with school, we got to sit down and meet with her. After the show, I stuck around to talk to her and while they were having sound checks, she saw me and said, ‘Grab your horn and come play with us.’ That was easily one of the greatest moments of my life.”
However, the road to success wasn’t always easy for Royal.
“When I first started gigging with Dark Matter, it was really slow,” Royal explained. “A lot of nights, tips were so bad that I thought I’d have to get a real job, and I started thinking maybe the music was bad. But other members of the band told me to stick with it and it started to take off.”
Despite Royal’s initial thoughts, the music is far from bad. After attending the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, Royal refined his art at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. This experience in many creative arts schools allowed the young musician to not just fall into one particular style of music.
“One of my goals was to play as many different styles of music as correctly as possible,” explained Royal who described his style of play as a big gumbo. “I don’t want to be just funk or jazz. I want to be the guy you can call to do anything.”
Royal’s description of his style is dead on. With elements of funk, blues, jazz, and R&B, Royal’s musical gumbo provides the listener’s ears with the same satisfied feeling as a real gumbo provides the stomach.
Royal’s personal favorite song, “Big Booty Express,” showcases the full package. With a silky smooth background accented by Royal’s sax, the song resonates differently to different people who listen to it. Some listeners may be soothed by the background and soft jazz play while others may find themselves moving their head and their body to the beat.
It is this menagerie of feelings that makes this song one of Royal’s favorites.
“‘Big Booty Express’ gets everybody dancing while still dealing with some music on an intellectual level,” Royal explains. “It keeps it funky and keeps everyone dancing.”
The title track from the album “Dark Matter” also shows off Royal’s skill set. With a darker and heavier background, Royal and Dark Matter provide a performance that not only showcases Royal’s play, but also the play of the band as a whole.
‘Big Booty Express’ aside, Royal and Dark Matter provide many songs for listeners of all ages and genres to appreciate. After playing Donegal Saloon on April 21, Khris Royal and Dark Matter will return to New Orleans and play several shows around the Big Easy before gearing up for several nationwide tours this summer.
To listen to Khris Royal and Dark Matter, you can search them on Spotify, or to purchase t heir album, they can be found on iTunes or on www.Khris-Royal.com.
