The New Mastersounds required a police escort the last time the British act played Colorado.

Fortunately, Democratic National Convention events are wrapping up, so the soul and funk group should get to Boulder's Fox Theatre in plenty of time for tonight's show.

"The last time we came to Colorado we played the Mile High Music Festival and it was absolutely crazy," frontman Eddie Roberts said. "We got lost on our way to the festival -- we had gone the wrong way. There were all these accidents and traffic on the roads. It was getting close to stage time, so we called the promoter and they gave us a police escort.

"They cleared three lanes of traffic for us. It was insane, but we got there!"

The New Mastersounds are gaining ground in the U.S., so it's no surprise that the soulful band was a hit at the Mile High fest. The group got its start playing DJ clubs in the U.K., but quickly discovered that American jazz, jam and funk audiences embraced its groove-based sound.

"We play funk music, but it has a vintage sound," Roberts said. "We're funk, soul and rock, all in one package, but retro funk is where we started out. We first played DJ clubs in Europe; we did a one-hour set and warmed up the crowds.

"When we came to the United States, we were surprised to find that DJ scene wasn't going on," he said. "So, we started experimenting and started putting on longer two-hour shows."

Roberts said the longer concerts made it easier to please American fans.

"People in America have a big appreciation for this kind of music, because it is American music," Roberts said. "We're primarily an instrumental band, but we struggle with that in Europe. We have to persuade the European audiences that you don't really need a singer.

"People in America are used to seeing all kinds of improvisational and jam bands."

The band members said they love being in the U.S., and now a high-profile American company plans to take the New Mastersounds to the next level.

The group recently signed to the Neville Brothers/funky Meters' management. That factor is gaining the New Mastersounds entry to more upscale venues and festivals. The band is also promoting its latest record, Plug & Play, and the CD is helping the act find new fans in the states.

"We actually added two vocalists to the new record," Roberts said. "We also have a spoken word track, and that makes this a very diverse record."