Dirty Sugar

Composed of some of the best young musicians in Southern California, Dirty Sugar is a band of rare musical flexibility. While primarily a Soul and R&B band the members all have an eclectic taste that has resulted in a huge play list. Their play list covers everything from Motown to Outkast to The Beatles to The Prince. Essentially, if it’s danceable, they probably play it.

The core of the band is Michael Cartwright on Vocals and Trumpet, Christian Wunderlich on Guitar, Mike Bordelon on Bass and Scott Cummings on Drums. They are often augmented by the addition of Vocalist Denean Dyson or with Piano, Horns and Percussion for larger events.

The members of the band are all graduates of some of the most prestigious music schools in the country including: The University of Southern California, Berklee College of Music, California Institute of the Arts and The University of Miami.

Individually the members have amassed an impressive list of recording and touring credits including: Jazz Legends Joey DeFrancesco, Billy Higgins, Arturo Sandoval, Othello Molineaux, Carl Saunders, Herb Jeffries (Duke Ellington) as well as pop and soul artists such as Mayer Hawthorn (Stones Throw Records), Ry Cuming (Sony Recording Artist), Lounge Artist Richard Cheese, Soul Revivalists Breakestra, Indie Darlings Florence and the Machine (Island Universal Records), Studio Legends James Gadson (Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye), Freddie Washington Jr. (Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan) and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame producer and musician Don Peake (The Beach Boys, John Lennon).

You can catch the band playing every Friday and Sunday at their home base, Tantalum in Long Beach. Check the Shows page for other venues they frequent such as Spaghettini in Seal Beach or The Commonwealth Lounge in Fullerton and Newport Beach. The band is also available to play private events such as weddings, birthday parties, corporate events, and private parties. Please check the Request Booking page for more information.