The Steamboat Pilot & Today

When the band 3 Peas rides in the car with manager Paul Johnson, the musicians are often forced to listen to Mariah Carey.

But the band’s sound has no correlation to pop music. 3 Peas is an instrumental band that will play its jazz funk fusion at Mahogany Ridge Brewery and Grill on Saturday night.

“I don’t want to compare ourselves to Medeski Martin & Wood,” bass player Joe Prinzivalli said. “But that group was my inspiration with their arrangement and instrumentation.”

Besides having a hard time finding a good vocalist, Prinzivalli doesn’t want anything to subtract from their craft.

“I’m scared it would take away from the original music,” he said. “I do feel that with lyrics you are able to connect to a broader audience. Instrumental music might turn some people off who don’t listen to music for musical value.”

The band composes and arranges its music as a group, but Prinzivalli brings seven-tenths of the bottom line, he said.

Their performances involve some cover songs and 25 percent improvisation, or what he calls “implied music.”

“Implied music is where there is an idea that everybody is open to interpret at any given time we play,” Prinzivalli said. “For me as a bass player and an individual who came with the bottom line stuff, I stick to my guns, but it is rare to hear the same song the same way twice.”

3 Peas is now a four-piece band that has recently picked up the guitar player, Phil Salvaggio (the fourth pea), whose new nickname is “Big Swerve.”

“We let him drive the bus occasionally with the band, and he swerves sometimes,” Prinzivalli said.

Each member has an identifying nickname. Prinzivalli’s is “Fro,” because of his long, wild and curly hair.

“I’m kind of in mid-fro stage right now,” he said. “Because I cut it for my sister’s wedding a year ago.”

Percussionist and drummer Evan Carroll is referred to as “Animal” because of his intermittent wild behavior.

“His demeanor and approach with his instrument on stage, and his off-stage antics definitely make him an unpredictable fellow,” Prinzivalli said.

The keyboardist, Vincent Denis, also goes by “Frenchie” because he’s French, and after living in the United States for about a decade, he still carries his accent and very French demeanor, Prinzivalli said.

“And he’s always wearing black. You can tell when Vinnie’s in a bad mood when he’s not wearing black.”

The band’s sound can be as eclectic as their personalities, but one thing always remains the same.

“We are dance floor-friendly people,” Prinzivalli said. “We are a groove oriented band. The connection for us — because we don’t have the vocals — is to get people up and moving.”