Toronto’s legendary jazz-funk collective The Shuffle Demons are celebrating their milestone anniversary with a bang — a new label deal with Alma Records and their 11th studio album, Are You Really Real. The record captures the band’s trademark energy and inventive spirit, blending jazz, funk, blues, and rap into a sound that’s as daring as ever. Co-founder and Juno Award winner Richard Underhill leads the charge with seven of the album’s compositions, joined by longtime partner Stich Wynston, saxophonists Kelly Jefferson and Matt Lagan, and bassist Mike Downes. Together, they create a wildly dynamic mix of grooves, improvisation, and sharp social commentary — a testament to four decades of fearless collaboration.
The album kicks off with Downes’ powerhouse opener “X Marks the Spot” and includes standout tracks like the title cut “Are You Really Real” — a witty reflection on the rise of AI — and “Money Is My Only Religion,” Underhill’s satirical jab at society’s obsession with wealth. Recorded at Toronto’s famed Canterbury Music Company with producer Jono Grant, the project showcases the band’s live fire and humor that first turned heads with 1986’s “Spadina Bus.” Even after global tours and countless accolades, the Shuffle Demons remain as bold and joyful as ever — still evolving, still pushing boundaries, and still, unmistakably, the real deal.