“People Please” get funky with the Sam Fribush Organ Trio

“Exuding a freshness and grounded intention beyond funkateering: “To me, the title and the tracks all sorta allude to these bigger questions and bigger ideas about where we are as a community,” Fribush explained. “It’s intentionally ambiguous, but also is a phrase calling to action: people please. … like people get your shit together.” 

YES WEEKLY by Katei Cranford (March 27, 2024)

“How Can I Be The Funkiest?”: Sam Fribush Talks Working With Charlie Hunter On New LP [Interview]

“The release of his third studio album, People Please, is one small step for Sam Fribush, but it’s a major leap forward for the traditions of organ trio music, funk, and soul jazz.”

LIVE FOR LIVE MUSIC (March 15th, 2024)

Sam Fribush Trio Ushers Soul Jazz Into 2024 With Funky New Single, “People Please” Ft. Charlie Hunter

“The first single, People Please, showcases the musical chemistry between Fribush, Hunter, and Napper as they settle into a groove both timeless and fresh, setting the tone for what’s to come with Hunter’s funky wah-wah guitar, Napper’s steadfast groove, and Fribush’s rolling left-hand/foot bass, melodic leads, and masterful use of the organ’s various sonic textures.”

James Sissler (January 11th, 2024)

Hiss Golden Messenger Jump For Joy Review: MOJO

“Jump for joy/Gimme apocalypse,” Taylor sings, over a loose-but tight New Orleans groove (Sam Fribush on piano in striking Allen Toussaint form). It's not deranged partying in the face of a world on fire, exactly, more a mature attempt to worry less, to be empowered by what a lifetime of making music has brought him.”

August 25, 2023

21 favorite albums and EPs released by North Carolina bands and artists in 2021

“There are moments on Riverboat when it’s easy to forget this record is made by three people. With the enchanting guitar work of legendary Charlie Hunter, the evocative, soulful swing of Sam Fribush’s organ lines, and Geoff Clap’s subdued percussive hits, the Organ Trio is a dazzling outfit. Whether the band is shuffling through a timeless D’Angelo joint or revitalizing a Bonnie Raitt classic, these immaculate tracks are easy to lose yourself in.”

January 14, 2022 (CLTure)

The 2021 triad 100

“#9: The acclaimed guitarist Charlie Hunter moved to Greensboro pre-panny, back in 2019. During the lockdown, he started woodshedding with local pianist Sam Fribush, who had fled New Orleans during the pandemic’s worst days. The result was the Sam Fribush Organ Trio, with a new album and a string of live shows in March. Before the end of the year Fribush would become a member of Raleigh band Hiss Golden Messenger, while Hunter would anchor a Tuesday-night residency at the Flat Iron.”

December 30, 2021

NC Release Radar: Our favorite recent music releases from North Carolina artists

“Born and raised in Greensboro, Sam Fribush has been honing his New Orleans style brand of funk and soul since his teens. But when the pandemic forced him off of a worldwide tour with Pokey LaFarge, legendary jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter came knockin’ for a collaboration that has upended the local scene.”

READ MORE AT CLTURE.ORG

April 20, 2021

Hailing Dr. Lonnie Smith, and the Magnificent Legacy of the Hammond B3 Organ

“Much like Jimmy Smith before him, Dr. Lonnie's influence can now felt in a new aggregation of Hammond heroes. Among them are Cory Henry, with his duo The Revival, and Sam Fribush, an emerging protégé of acclaimed guitarist Charlie Hunter. We'll briefly discuss them both — with a taste of Fribush's new organ trio release, featuring Hunter on six-string and Geoff Clapp on drums.”

READ MORE AT JAZZ UNITED: A PODCAST FROM WBGO

April 9, 2021

Stellar Performances at Middle C Jazz: Guitarist Hunter, Organist Fribush, & More

“Fribush provided good bass lines on the organ either with his foot or left hand. Fribush's solos often boosted the energy and dynamics of the group. He grabbed onto riffs and sequentially built them up in volume as the group responded to him.”

READ MORE AT CVNC

April 3, 2021

The magnificent return of Sam Fribush…

“He’s a generation younger than me,” Hunter says. “But we like all the same music. And he can groove. He’s way too young to have all of that organ language.”

READ MORE AT TRIAD CITY BEAT

March 10, 2021

SAM FRIBUSH’S RIVERBOAT ROOTS

“The Crusaders’ “Stomp and Buck Dance” got its genre reassigned with Clapp putting a New Orleans street beat on it. “It feels like a party, like you’re going to Mardi Gras.”

READ MORE AT NEWS AND RECORD

April 1, 2021

Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno’s “Love and Chains”

“Sam Fribush played the Wurlitzer and really highlighted the nostalgic feeling of the song.”

READ MORE AT AMERICAN SONGWRITER

January 12, 2021

Ric Robertson releases funky new EP, 'Strange New World'

“We worked our assess off — blood, sweat and tears — and then it's taken two years to get this stuff out,” Fribush says.

READ MORE AT WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

September 23, 2020

‘He Made the World Bigger’: Inside John Zorn’s Jazz-Metal Multiverse

Video featuring Sam Fribush at the New England Conservatory of Music.

WATCH THE VIDEO ON ROLLING STONE

Sam Fribush rides his pink flamingo to New Orleans

“At age 10, most kids are a bit fuzzy about career choices. But at that age, Sam Fribush was already working toward a musical career in New Orleans.”

READ MORE AT THE NEWS & RECORD

June 11, 2020

NC Keyboardist Sam Fribush Shares the Stage with DONNA THE BUFFALO

“Puryear was nodding along with near-reckless abandon. It was an excellent sight to see: the youthful talent had won approval from the visionary.”

READ MORE AT THE DEEPER DIG

May 24, 2018

Jan. 17th, 2015: NO DEPRESSION

Sep. 29th, 2010: YES!WEEKLY

Sep. 10th, 2010: NEWS&RECORD

Apr. 8th, 2005: NEWS&RECORD