From the Hartford Advocate:

Funked Into Oblivion

Toussaint Liberator & Buru Style's total nuclear funk eradicates the ego and leaves only an ass-shaking, joy-filled husk behind. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the wake of their show at the Main Pub this past Friday, people were showing up to work drunk, high, and smelling like sex. Damn.

The humongous band specialized in the kind of reggae-soul-funk blend usually associated with Boston. It's rare to see around these parts; as far as local peers go, only Northampton's Leah Randazzo Group comes to mind, and even they place more emphasis on jazz style. Buru Style's stabbity horns and minimalist guitar get huge mileage out of very small phrases and ideas. Meanwhile, Toussaint Liberator (who used to front international icons Soulive) sings, toasts, chants, and generally exhibits effortless magnetism. (Favorite lyric: "I'm a soldier, travelin' through time/My mission is to open up the eyes of the blind.") And Bill Carbone quietly masterminded the entire performance from behind the drumkit. He was always counting the next song off before the applause has subsided for the previous one, never losing his cool in the face of the most turbulent funk.

It was wonderful to see the Main Pub so thoroughly packed for the show, since large band sizes can often make touring cost-prohibitive. The Buru crew was able to assemble their audience out of disparate groups. College students (they have a huge Wesleyan following), hipsters, and the Main Pub's typical "insurance exec by day, hippie by night" crowd all found something to love in the music. And it's a small wonder, considering the way the band seamlessly shifted from genre to genre. From lover's rock, to dub, to James Brown soul, Buru's style was pluralistic while remaining black-centric. If you want to see what the fuss is about, you can catch Buru Style locally on Nov. 20 and Dec. 11, when they'll be at Middletown's awesome Fishbone Café.


FROM THE BOSTON HERALD:

Ex-Soulive singer Toussaint Liberator bounces back with Buru Style
By Christopher Blagg
Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Getting axed by your band mates doesn’t qualify as career advancement.
But while the wounds from his split with the funk band Soulive are still fresh, Toussaint Liberator is already bouncing back stronger than ever.
Best known around Boston as a reggae singer, Toussaint has a crack new band, Buru Style (spearheaded by longtime Boston fixture Bill Carbone on drums), which plays the Middle East on Wednesday. He also has an organized vision, and perhaps most importantly, a burning motivation to prove himself.
Up until he joined in 2006, Soulive was an instrumental trio. With Toussaint as their full-time vocalist, Soulive recorded a critically lauded record on the revamped Stax label, “No Place Like Soul,” and toured the world. He was understandably crushed in 2007 when the band decided to go back to its original format.
“It ended because, in my estimation, they wanted a pop record that flew off the shelves immediately,” Toussaint said from his home in Holyoke. “And it didn’t fly off the shelves immediately. I don’t think it was because the music wasn’t good.”
Despite the disheartening setback, Toussaint can now look back on the Soulive venture with fresh eyes.
“It was an experience that really helped me and clarified what I could be doing,” he said. “It made me more of a complete vocalist. It raised my business acumen and it also raised my visibility. All those things are very positive.”
The 30-year-old Toussaint harbors little resentment toward his ex-band mates. In fact, he’s thinking about reaching out to his old running buddies.
“I love those guys,” he said. “They’re great musicians. Things maybe didn’t work out on a business level, but the reality is that I look forward to working with them in the near future.”
There’s reason for the former Bostonian to feel optimistic. Judging from the quality of his recent EP, “Toussaint the Liberator featuring Buru Style,” getting jettisoned from Soulive may be the best thing that could have happened to him. His versatile band jumps easily from dubbed-out reggae explorations to hopped-up funk and soul romps, all anchored by Toussaint’s charismatic tenor.
“For years I’ve been pegged as a reggae singer,” Toussaint said. “With Soulive I was able to prove to myself, if not everyone else, that I could do more than just sing over a skank. With Buru Style, you can’t say it’s reggae, you can’t say it’s funk or soul. It’s a blend of all those things and it’s all original.
“I know people think I’m just going to fall off ’cause I don’t have Soulive now,” he said. “I was down for a year, but now I’m determined to prove to myself and to people that I’m a serious force with my music. I’m not going anywhere.”

FROM Hip2besquare.net:
Click HERE to read in full

Toussaint and Buru Style @ Johnny D’s 1-15-10
January 16, 2010 · Filed Under Live Show

Back in November I stumbled upon an article in the Boston Herald discussing the return of a local legend – Toussaint the Liberator. For years, Toussaint played at Matt Murphy’s in Brookline with the China Band. Nights would get pretty hot and packed at the small Irish style pub in the heart of Brookline. When I use to live on Beacon Street just between Coolidge Corner and Washington Square we would go at least once or twice a month. Many nights spent in the back room hanging out with Bill Carbone, Johnny Trauma, Toussaint and who ever else happened to find themselves out back to grab a smoke. Those were some good times.

But those good times have past. Since then, Toussaint had broken off from the China Band and went on tour with Soulive as their lead man. After a couple years of touring and an album on the legendary Stax Label, they went their separate ways. Not because they didn’t get along, but rather it wasn’t the right fit. Toussaint even made it clear in the Herald article that he still communicates with the band members and has the utmost respect for them and the music they create.

Which brings us to last night. Bill Carbone, a fantastic drummer well known for his chops here in the Boston music circuit. Some of you may remember him from his Miracle Orchestra days. He started Buru Style a couple years back and when Toussaint came back into the fray after being away for a little while from the music scene, he saw a perfect fit for his vocals.

Those of you that are fans of the Budos Band or anything from the Daptone Record label for that matter, will find themselves drawn to Bill’s creation – A keyboard player that also has a Moog (I believe) which helps bring in the funk when needed; two sax players that play tighter then an old sailors knot; a bassist that knows how to lay the grooves and a guitar player, who was surprisingly a crowd favorite towards the end of last nights show. I hadn’t paid much attention to him all night but it took Toussaint to turn, look and make us recognize his guitar players abilities. He had a great way of floating notes in and out of Toussaint’s vocal rhythms. All in all, they do a great job of mixing in the reggae influences with a touch of funk and a boat load of soul.

There’s no question that we saw a very grown up Toussaint last night. Our crew all noticed that immediately upon seeing him on stage. I talked briefly to Bill after the show where he explained they just finished up recording their first album. It’s now going into the mastering phase. They are taking a little break after a few more shows here in January while Toussaint makes a trip down to the islands (Virgin I believe). They’ll be back in Boston at Church in March and if you’re a fan of energy, dancing and seeing one of the best under appreciated vocalists, then I’ll see you there.

They have an EP available in various outlets. You can also pick up the Buru Style instrumental album, The Crab, and Toussaint and The China Band’s album over at their Store.