For many years, the San Diego based band “The Price Of Dope” terrorized and thrilled Southern California audiences. First arriving on the scene as a substitute for The Greyboy Allstars (in what was then the urban decay of downtown San Diego) the band went on to share the stage with such acts as Prince, The Brand New Heavies, The Roots, and The Long Beach Dub Allstars. Songs from the band’s debut CD were used for Rob Machado’s surf videos and frequently featured on both local and nationally syndicated media (Blue Torch, MTV, KUSI, KSDS). In 1999, the original line up dissolved when Cheme Gastelum and Dave Carano joined Robert Walter’s 20th congress. A few years later drummer Jeff Kelley, guitarist Andy Holmes, bassist Christian Schinelli, and organist James Cummings came together to form what we now know as Pocket. The soul, jazz, and funk records that were sampled as the raw materials used to first create hip hop are still some of the most collected records ever made. That style of music, performed with all it’s original soulful intention, is the sound of Pocket. The latest Pocket CD (Sep. 2008) was also simultaneously released on double vinyl, and features Karl Denson on 4 tracks. The intro track was used for a LeBron James Nike commercial.
