Tomás Doncker & the True Groove All-Stars have today dropped their new live EP titled ‘Alive In Paris’, recorded at Paris’ legendary New Morning and featuring Fun Lovin’ Criminals via True Groove Records.
Live albums have a nasty habit of exposing every flaw an artist tries to hide in the studio. ‘Alive In Paris’ flips that idea on its head and practically dares anyone to find a weak moment. Recorded at the legendary New Morning in Paris while Tomás Doncker & the True Groove All Stars toured alongside Fun Lovin’ Criminals, this EP bottles the kind of electricity that polished productions spend months trying and failing to imitate. Every note feels earned and every applause break reminds you that this was a room full of people witnessing something real.
Tomás Doncker has never been interested in staying inside tidy genre lines, and that fearless approach pays off in spectacular fashion here. Soul collides with blues, funk shakes hands with rock, jazz slips into the conversation without asking permission, and the entire band follows the twists with effortless precision. Calling this genre bending almost feels lazy because the performance is less about mixing styles and more about making labels seem completely unnecessary.
What makes ‘Alive In Paris’ stand out is the chemistry pouring off the stage. The True Groove All Stars play like musicians who know exactly when to step forward and exactly when to let someone else steal the spotlight. Every groove lands with confidence while every improvisational turn feels natural instead of self indulgent. Plenty of artists claim to thrive in a live setting. Doncker actually proves it without ever sounding like he is trying too hard.
That authenticity extends to the emotional core of the songs. Themes of social justice, resilience, racial inequality, and hope are woven into performances that never become lectures. Instead, they invite the audience into a shared experience where conviction meets celebration. It is a reminder that meaningful music does not have to sacrifice groove, and that powerful messages often hit harder when delivered with undeniable rhythm and soul.
-
The Deep Dive with Jammerzine: Tomás Doncker & the True Groove All Stars
Jammerzine Exclusive
20:02
The connection to Fun Lovin’ Criminals adds another layer to the story behind this release, but ‘Alive In Paris’ never feels like a supporting act grabbing leftover attention. This is Doncker’s stage from the opening moments, and he commands it with the confidence of someone who has spent decades refining both his craft and his voice. That long history across punk, funk, blues, soul, and experimental music is impossible to miss because every influence feeds the performance without overwhelming it.
Production wise, the EP wisely resists the temptation to polish away the atmosphere. Audience reactions, room ambience, and the natural warmth of the recording become part of the performance instead of background decoration. New Morning comes alive as more than just a venue. It becomes another instrument contributing to the personality of the record, giving listeners the feeling that they managed to sneak into one of the best shows of the year without paying for the ticket.
‘Alive In Paris’ is exactly what a live release should be and far too many are not. It captures musicians pushing each other forward, songs taking on fresh identities, and an audience feeding every inspired moment. No gimmicks. No sterile perfection. No endless studio trickery pretending to be authenticity. Just Tomás Doncker & the True Groove All Stars delivering a performance that reminds everyone why live music still matters, and making it sound ridiculously easy along the way.
About ‘Alive In Paris’
Recorded at the iconic New Morning in Paris while touring with Fun Lovin’ Criminals, ‘Alive In Paris’ captures Doncker and his band ‘The True Groove All Stars’ at their most electrifying, highlighting the energy, spontaneity, emotional depth and level of musicianship that have made him one of contemporary music’s most compelling live performers for decades.
A prime mover within New York’s music, arts and cultural landscape for over four decades, Doncker first emerged in the early 1980s as part of the groundbreaking No Wave and Punk-Funk movements through his work with The Contortions and Defunkt. Since then, he has built an extraordinary career spanning international touring, songwriting and recording collaborations with artists including Bootsy Collins, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ivan Neville, The Specials and the legendary Patti Smith, whilst simultaneously helming his own band, The True Groove All-Stars; truly establishing himself as a cross-genre innovator without peer.
Doncker’s previous works have seen widespread critical acclaim from the likes of BBC, CNN, Huff Post, MOJO, Spin, Brooklyn Vegan, NPR’s ‘All Songs Considered’, Guitar World, Wonderland Magazine, All About Jazz, Paste and Rolling Stone Magazine. Recent cover features in both Blues Matters and Blues & Soul magazines further cement his reputation as one of modern music’s most distinctive voices.
‘Alive In Paris’ follows the release of February’s vibrant single ‘¡2 BEAUCOUP!’, which was written and recorded in Paris, during a particularly memorable visit to the French capital. The trip saw Doncker not only support Fun Lovin’ Criminals, but also join Patti Smith on stage at the historic L’Olympia to perform a powerful rendition of ‘People Have The Power’ just days after recording his live EP.
‘Alive In Paris’ sees Doncker deliver a truly genre-defying performance, seamlessly weaving together elements of soul, blues, funk, rock and jazz. The recording showcases Doncker’s ability to move an audience, connecting deeply and transforming songs that explore themes of social justice, racial inequality, resilience and hope into communal celebrations of unity and human connection.
On the inspiration to release a live EP, Doncker says, “Paris… A magical city, filled with such beautiful, vibrant, culturally diverse and aware people. It had always been a dream of mine to record in Paris, and capture that vibe. When Fun Lovin’ Criminals invited us to support them at the legendary New Morning, we jumped at the chance. We’ve decided to pair the release of the EP with the release of a live set filmed with Version TV, recorded at Yellow Bean Studios in Leicester. We’re excited to share the energy of this warm analog recording of our night in the city of light.”
To accompany the live EP, Doncker collaborated with London-based video production company Version Music TV to bring several of these tracks to life through a series of intimate live sessions. Filmed at Yellow Bean Studios in Leicester, Tomás filmed both Hard Is Hard and Some Ol’ Dolls.
About Tomás Doncker
For over a decade, Doncker’s expansive creative endeavors have found a home with his label / production hub True Groove Records. Projects have included work with P-Funk alumni Michael ‘Kidd Funkadelic’ Hampton and Amp Fiddler, multi grammy-winning Meshell Ndegeocello, Hip Hop pioneer Keith Shocklee (Public Enemy/Bomb Squad), and iconic bassist Bootsy Collins.
His ongoing musical collaborations with New York Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa yielded the critically acclaimed albums Big Apple Blues, The Mercy Suite and The Black Magnolia Project. Most recently, Doncker and Komunyakaa joined forces with visual artist Floyd Tunson to create ‘ENDANGERED’ in June of 2022, an immersive multimedia experience which addresses the historical conundrum that black men in America are endangered. Inspired by Tunson’s Afro-Futuristic and politically charged artwork, and powered by lyrics from Komunyakaa, Doncker composed a sonic journey to freedom, a modern-day Revolution of the Mind, that has been hailed as “a socio-politically charged audio-visual soundtrack of 21st Century dissent, discomfort and reclamation.
LINKS:
https://tomasdoncker.com
https://www.facebook.com/TomasDonckerMusic
https://www.instagram.com/tomasdonckerofficial
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6On4s2o0VoJgjFQRdSuAEz
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/tom%C3%A1s-doncker/468939501
https://music.amazon.com/artists/B00GVMR32E/tom%C3%A1s-doncker