Classical guitarist finds ‘A Little Light’ in Dayton’s groove

His project The Groove Essentials, a five-piece funk ensemble, is releasing its first LP, “A Little Light,” on Oct. 24. The band will celebrate the release with a free show at The Tank, 35 W. 4th St., Dayton.

The 10-track album is a culmination of Fiehrer’s 2025 Culture Works Artist Opportunity Grant, a grant given to individual artists in Montgomery County. “A Little Light” was produced by Gary King at Dayton Sound Studios, who was appropriately involved in the initial wave of Dayton funk back in the 1970s, playing trombone with the band Sun.

“Gary was very knowledgeable when it came to this genre of music,” Fiehrer said. “He knew how things were supposed to go, where to bring out certain instruments, where to bring out the vocals, how to give it the sound I wanted, which, in this case, was what it was: five people in a room making music together. We wanted that really authentic kind of sound.”

Dayton bands like Ohio Players, Zapp and Lakeside arguably did funk the best, though inarguably laid the foundation, so delving into the genre in its birthplace can be risky business, especially when your roots are in Mozart and Beethoven. But that didn’t stop Fiehrer from taking the risk.

“Funk is a deceptively sophisticated genre,” he said. “There’s a lot of jazz influence, and I think that my background with music education and guitar technique helps me understand the ins and outs of this music. The way they, especially guitar players, voice chords in funk music is very cool. Understanding the rhythmic tendencies that we see in this strong, beat-driven music is something that I incorporate into all the guitar-playing that I do.”

Ahead of the LP release, The Groove Essentials dropped two singles: “Too Late?” and “D-A-Y-T-O-N.” “D-A-Y-T-O-N” — performed by singer Tory James, bassist Jelani Stokes, drummer Hayden Floro, keyboardist James Roberts, and composer/guitarist Fiehrer — brings funk past to the present, exploring its local roots through a sonically continuous lineage.

The song’s narrative tracks our collective going out, from Fifth St. to Third, bringing friends to the hottest spots, until we do it again.

“Having a good time is universal,” Fiehrer said. “It’s about being together, and camaraderie.”

Fiehrer started with piano lessons around eight years old, then shifted to guitar at 12. As he got older, he became more interested in playing music professionally, earning degrees in guitar performance from the University of Cincinnati and Johns Hopkins University.

He currently teaches at McCutcheon Music in Centerville, and at Star City Music in Miamisburg.

In college, there were two paths he could have taken: one was jazz, the other classical. Fiehrer started taking lessons in both styles, but eventually gravitated toward classical, since he enjoyed the technical challenge.

Part of the appeal was that classical guitar is often a solo instrument; it doesn’t require trying to get a band together. Fiehrer essentially discovered that playing everything — the melodies, the bass lines, the chords — was superior to coordinating schedules.

After years of performing solo classical pieces, Fiehrer missed the collective energy of a band. That itch eventually led him to join the R&B/funk collective The Johnson Treatment, a precursor to what would become The Groove Essentials.

Everyone in The Groove Essentials holds at least one degree in a music-related field. The show at The Tank is the band’s first official performance.

As a classical guitarist, why did Fiehrer feel compelled to honor the sound this city founded?

“The development of music in Dayton has had an interesting history,” he said. “You hear a lot of bands in the scene that do indie rock, Americana, folk. And that’s great music, but I think there is still a scene around here for this really rhythmically-driven music that’s very danceable, on the other end of the pop spectrum.”

Good guitar-playing, like good funk, knows no borders.

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