Captain Coconut is funk music at its finest. They play it and they live it. The six-piece band has absorbed all the old R&B and soul masters and gobbled up the classic jazz and funky soul-jazz records made decades before they were born, from Jimmy Smith to James Brown, from Coltrane to Maceo. In other words, they know their funk.

In their fourth year on the scene, Captain Coconut has played all around NYC at clubs including CBGBs, Tribeca Rock Club, the Cutting Room, Sullivan Hall (aka Lion's Den), Canal Room, Mo Pitkin's, the Mean Fiddler, Piano's, The Bowery Poetry Club, P&W's Sandwich Shop, and are regulars at the Knitting Factory having played on all three stages multiple times. They've opened for Eric Krasno and Adam Deitch at Scenic on the Lower East Side and taken two trips to New Orleans during JazzFest '06 and '07. On the first Saturday night of New Orleans JazzFest 2006 they opened for percussion master Bill Summers and his all-star band (featuring Donald Harrison Jr., Davell Crawford, Eric Krasno and others) at the Blue Nile on Frenchman Street and the next year headlined in French Quarter along side the Marc Stone Trio at Rotolo's.

The band has also played events for a variety of clients at venues including the Museum of Modern Art, 2nd Avenue Street Fair, Hunter College (fundraiser for Dennis Kucinich Presidential Campaign), Porky's Bar (Tulane University Alumni Mardi Gras Party), Lehman College (Bronx Parks Speak Up!), the Boys & Girls Club of Kingston, Wesleyan University, and the National Convention of Oral Surgeons in Washington, DC.

In June of 2007, Captain Coconut was selected as the winner of Going.com's NYC Band Showcase. Going.com put four top NYC bands, selected by online vote, on stage at the Canal Room. The four bands (out of twenty) with the most online votes received a cash prize and a spot at the Canal Room showcase. Captain Coconut raked in over 400 votes and on June 27th, played the Canal Room along with Dice, FMos and Brother Love. After laying down a burning-hot 4 song set, the judges from Cordless Recordings choose Captain Coconut as the winner!

Their influences range from the classic records of the '60s and '70s to the fresh talent in today's scene, and include the city of New Orleans, Derek Trucks and his band, Lettuce, Stax Records, the Allman Brothers, Miles Davis, Brian Seeger, Robert Walter, John Scofield, Tower of Power, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Jimmy McGriff, Dr. John, Adam Deitch, Grant Green, Herbie Hancock, Maceo Parker, and other pioneers of jazz, funk and soul music. It doesn't stop there; Captain Coconut has written dozens of their own tunes, forging the future of funk.

There is a natural chemistry between these guys, a shared love of the music and creating it. You can feel it at their highly charged live shows.

The band is unsigned but very busy. All members are in college at a variety of locations; Dan Knobler and Matt Porter attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (Dan at the selective Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music and Matt in the equally prestigious film program), Coleman Bartels and Matt Chiasson attend the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, Jon the Jazz Studies program at SUNY Purchase, and Zack at Wesleyan University.

Captain Coconut has also performed with drummer Greg Evans, who appears on Shoop!, Andrew Abramowitz, who took over on drums from April 2007 until January 2008 and longtime member Danny Rivera on Baritone Sax who is on a hiatus from the band, but is still involved arranging and performing with the Captain Coconut Funk Orchestra.

The Captain Coconut Funk Orchestra debuted in November of 2007 at the Bowery Poetry Club. The twelve-piece ensemble, complete with eight horns (4 saxes, 2 trumpet, trombone & tuba) also featured the fabulous Emily Elbert on vocals. Guitarist Dan Knobler booked and produced two nights at the Bowery Poetry Club on 11/23 with Say Hello To Symphony, Emily Elbert, and The Captain Coconut Funk Orchestra; and 2/8 with The Powder Kegs, Emily Elbert, and The Captain Coconut Funk Orchestra which both drew 100+ people. Music and video clips from 11/23 are on our website (CoconutFunk.net) and YouTube Channel (YouTube.com/CaptainCoconut).