Sparklemotion

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But if Sparklemotion is hoping to wrench its listeners away from their bar conversations, to put down their martinis and dance, or to eventually buy a Sparklemotion CD, something more is needed.

We walked in on a first set in time to catch the band's original tune "Share Some Time." "Sounds like they've heard a Steely Dan record or two," my friend said. We had to laugh when the next number was "Hey Nineteen." The set lists continued with Stevie Wonder's "I Wish," Bill Withers's "Use Me," and Earth, Wind & Fire's "Shining Star." I like this band's record collection.

And the members of Sparklemotion are certainly capable of reproducing it. All four men have music degrees, three have a background in jazz performance, and they each continue to work with other fine local bands, including Thornetta Davis and the U-M Jazz Ensemble. They are not tied to note-for-note replications and clearly feel musically connected to their influences.