Prolific across a wide swath of sonic topography, Detroit-raised, New Orleans-based musician Ari Teitel keeps many hot irons in his creative fire. A soulful expressionist, Ari’s guitar styles incorporate foundational influences R&B, funk, gospel, jazz, hip-hop, blues, and psychedelic rock, a greasy gumbo that coalesces with many multi-hued endeavors. Ari is a co-founder of Mardi Gras Indian Funk band The Rumble feat. Chief Joseph Boudreaux, the lead guitarist in Dumpstaphunk, one-third of dynamite new organ trio Deitch Fribush Teitel and experimental electro-improv syndicate AX3.
Ari’s released two solo LPs of original material, produced a few records from behind the mixing console, acts as musical director for independent projects, and co-hosts/curates the new weekly residency Very Good Mondays - NOLA with Dumpstaphunk trombonist Alex Wasily.
Teitel’s musical journey traces back to Detroit; a pianist at age 4, transitioning to electric guitar at 9. Attending a Robert Randolph & the Family Band concert with his father, the bandleader invited an 11-year old Teitel onstage to jam, commanding the attention of numerous prominent Detroit players. The following year, Ari was leading his own group; immersing himself in Detroit’s storied heritage throughout adolescence, he studied Motor City music traditions with the deepest respect.
Ari points to formative years playing in historically Black churches as providing a priceless, experiential education. While attending Michigan State University, Teitel hit the road for the first time working with soul-blues-diva Thornetta Davis & bluesman Larry McCray. The burgeoning guitarist cut his teeth with Detroit institution Skeeto’s Funhouse, under the wing of local drumming luminary Skeeto Valdez himself. Ari Teitel unveiled an 8-track debut solo album Unteiteled, recorded to analog tape and released in 2017.
Poised to emerge as a force in the big leagues after graduating with a degree in Jazz Studies, in late 2016 Teitel decamped to New Orleans - the mecca of Black American Music, a city renowned as the spiritual home to funk, R&B, soul, and gospel. The guitarist/vocalist was embraced by both heroes and peers for his determination and inherent mojo, and Ari found his way to the heartbeat of the Crescent City’s vibrant scene. He made his bones as a first-call guitarist with OGs like Ivan Neville, Tony Hall, and Papa Mali, and collaborated with next generation groove gurus like Nigel Hall and Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce).
Whether wailing away or layin’ back in the cut, Ari Teitel could be found holdin’ it down on hallowed stages like the intimate, sweaty Maple Leaf Bar and iconic Tipitina’s Uptown. Versatile with leadership at his core, Ari Teitel stepped into the Musical Director role with Cha Wa, with whom he earned two GRAMMY nominations for albums Spyboy (2018) and My People (2021).
Seeking a more authentic Mardi Gras Indian Funk experience, Teitel and six other members of Cha Wa left the band in early 2022, swiftly forming The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. This instantly-beloved squad exploded into prominence at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that Spring. The group is dedicated to diligently carrying the traditional torch of a sacred heritage, while injecting contemporary verve into their soulful funk. The Rumble released Live At The Maple Leaf in May 2023, followed by studio debut Stories From The Battlefield (2024); both records were GRAMMY nominated in back to back years.
Teitel’s departure from Cha Wa provided a primary source of inspiration for solo album I Got My Thing (2022). The personal project presents both a vintage and modernized take on funk, R&B, and neo-soul, material mined from the depths of the “pandemic blues.” The record levels up from his nascent debut, a confident collection of originals featuring Detroit bassist Paul Randolph alongside a New Orleans-based krewe including drummer Jamison Ross (Snarky Puppy), Nigel Hall (keys), and Erica Falls (background vocals). I Got My Thing highlights Ari’s multifaceted musicality, sophistication, sensitivity, and vulnerability as an evolving solo artist.
Neville & Tony Hall continued to tap Teitel for numerous engagements and ensembles across several years and combinations. Recently, New Orleans’ quintessential 21st-century funk-fusion institution Dumpstaphunk drafted Ari into action for lead guitar duties. He was called up to their ranks in the wake of the April 2024 passing of bassist/co-founder Nick Daniels III. Teitel joins Crescent City royalty Ivan and Ian Neville, Tony Hall, and the latest Dumpsta genesis to help author the next evolution in the band’s filial legacy.
Born out of late-night Jazz Fest improv sessions at famed Frenchman Street haunt d.b.a., throwback organ trio Deitch, Fribush, Teitel is an exciting new endeavor that finds Ari diggin’ into his rare-groove bag alongside legendary Lettuce drummer Adam Deitch and NC-based Hammond B3 prodigy Sam Fribush. Plotting to capitalize on instant chemistry and a shared artistic vision, the group plans a debut LP in 2025.
Ari Teitel’s freshest experiment AX3 is an avant-garde, instrumental project with drummer Alvin Ford Jr. (Pretty Lights, Jon Batiste) and Rumble bandmate Andriu ‘Yano’ Yanovski on various keyboards. AX3 delivers adventurous dance music that oscillates between organic and electronic soundscapes.
The hottest new residency in town, Very Good Mondays NOLA is a joint collaboration curated and hosted by Ari and his Dumpstaphunk bandmate Alex Wasily. The enigmatic trombonist is the brains and bartender behind over 160 nights of the wildly-popular Very Good Mondays franchise in Los Angeles. In 2024, Teitel and Wasily agreed it was high-time to port those same Very Good vibrations to the Rabbit Hole, a dope nightspot nestled in the heart of New Orleans’ Central City. Boasting two improvised sets from a group of musicians playing together for the first time, the weekly live funk party maintains merely one golden rule: No Covers Allowed.
An in-demand guitarist/multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer, Ari Teitel has shared stages and studios with NOLA legends Irma Thomas, George Porter Jr. (The Meters), Cyril Neville, PJ Morton , Nicholas Payton, and Herlin Riley; in 2021, he worked with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Iggy Pop. Other crucial collaborations include a Twinkie Clark tribute, Mononeon, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Gabrielle Cavassa, Cyrille Aimee, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Davell Crawford,, Roosevelt Collier, Bill Summers (Herbie Hancock), Stanton Moore (Galactic), Jon Cleary, Irma Thomas, The Motet, Joe Dart & Jack Stratton (Vulfpeck), and many more. A fledgling record producer, Teitel has been behind the boards on projects from J & the Causeways and Sara Syms.
Ari performs annually with various projects during the world famous New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; he’s a regular at coveted all-star Jazz Fest late-night events. His groups have graced events like High Sierra Music Festival, Detroit Jazz Fest, Telluride Blues & Brews, & Suwannee Hulaween. Teitel’s international appearances have taken him as far as JazzAscona in Switzerland, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Cupa Dupa in New Zealand, and a European tour with GRAMMY-nominated Jamison Ross.
- B. Getz
Photo: Giole Pozzi