GRAND WAZOO-Kings of Soul is a legendary 14 piece Australian band, formed in 1981 by arranger-musician John Montesante, who remains leader today. Featuring 4 vocalists, 6 horns and 4 rhythm players, and a repertoire exceeding 300 Black Soul and Rhythm‘n Blues tunes, the outfit has performed thousands of live gigs since its inception. During 2007 - when celebrating 10 years of weekly Sunday Soul Sessions at Melbourne’s Rainbow Hotel, GRAND WAZOO-Kings of Soul recorded that gig LIVE before an audience, with only ONE take of each tune- no mean feat for a 14 piece outfit in non-studio conditions. On this 16 track album, titled SOUL MONSTER–LIVE , this monster of a band, GRAND WAZOO-Kings of Soul, is truly captured "live in the moment".

JOHN MONTESANTE & GRAND WAZOO reach 27 YEARS in 2008 A passionate, driven and many-faceted artist, John Montesante first came to national attention in Australia as a singular Jazz Musician and Arranger in his twenties. He was a founding member/ arranger/ trumpet player with popular band Kush in the 1970s and he also guest-performed in other Pop Bands of that decade, as well as various Big Bands and Orchestras. Playing Trumpet, Flugel and Keyboards, he founded 14 piece Grand Wazoo— Kings of Soul in 1981 and still leads this ‘Soul Institution’ today. His passion for Afro-American music led him to research and write his own ‘book’ of over 300 Soul and RnB arrangements for 10 instruments, based on Black Soul from the late 1950s through to 1980. As well, he became interested in the emblematic Bands of the era, like Tower of Power, Blood Sweat & Tears and Earth Wind & Fire and introduced some tunes from each to the Band repertoire as well as the occasional original. With Soul as his primary focus, John retained his abiding passion for Jazz, and soon after establishing Grand Wazoo, also introduced a 20 piece Big Band ,Café Society Orchestra, and then in 1990 formed the John Montesante Quintet, performing BeBop & Standards. He still performs Jazz with his Quintet regularly, as relaxation from the intensity of the Soul outfit. John has performed, backed, supported, acted as Musical Director, or arranged for eminent International and Australian artists in the Jazz, Big Band,.Soul and Rhythm & Blues genres. These include Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett Band, Hollywood Brown, Venetta Fields, Hot Chocolate, Delilah, Lovelace Watkins, Al Martino, Nancy Wilson, Tina Arena, Reg Livermore, Jeff Duff, Peter Cupples, Marcia Hines, Kate Ceberano, Nichaud Fitzgibbon, Lisa Edwards, Renee Geyer, Joe Camilleri, Normie Rowe, Jackie Love, Max Merritt, Gil Askey and countless others. Montesante has always possessed an ability to pick young rising vocal & musical stars, with many of today’s Industry ‘names’ originally working with him. The Band released an LP recording, \\\'Reverend Blues..\\\' in the 80s, then a CD Album: ‘Band of 1000 Dances’ in 1998; then backed Max Merritt in 2002 on his 40th Anniversary Live CD/DVD; followed by a (limited edition) tribute album, ‘Grand Wazoo & The Legendary King of Soul’, Alvie Lee Johns Jnr in 2005. The new album, ‘Soul Monster-Live’l was reeased at the end of 2007. John Montesante is an artist of phenomenal creative energy. Single-handedly, (and without Promoters, Subsidies or Industry support at times), he has probably engaged more singers and musicians than any other single Musician-Band Leader in Australia for over a quarter century. Also a music educator, he has contributed and still contributes to the Australian Music Scene in an extraordinary way. One of Australia’s few great Band Leaders, John Montesante’s extraordinary achievement has been to keep a large and unique Soul outfit working for 27 YEARS, without taking any band recess of more than 2 weeks, to the delight of SOUL MUSIC FANS!