Moksha is a Hindi word for liberate and itand#8217;s also the name of the Las Vegas jam band Moksha which plays Saturday at Tahoe Cityand#8217;s Hacienda Del Lago.

and#8220;Moksha is the real dealand#8221; said Beatplay, while Las Vegas Citylife noted its ability to put out and#8220;unpretentious, fun sway-able funk jams.and#8221; Travel Nevada sounded in on its neighbor, writing, and#8220;Moksha combines modern sound with that of classic New Orleans for a huge jam session that pleases every crowd.and#8221;

Moksha coalesced in the hot summer of 2007, when a handful of musicians drawn together by a common love of funk, rock and jazz formed under one flag. Bassist John Heishman and guitarist Jeremy Parks were in a local band when they joined musical forces with drummer Pat Gray. Keyboardist Brian Triola sat in with the band, and Mokshaand#8217;s musical seeds were planted.

Moksha quickly gained a reputation for the energy and appeal of their live shows.

and#8220;We like to put on a show that we would want to go to,and#8221; Parks said.

In 2010, after doing a ton of live shows, both locally and on the West Coast, Moksha hooked up with guitar legend Brian Stoltz (Neville Brothers, Bob Dylan) to record and#8220;Mammal or Machine.and#8221; The same year, Moksha added singer Sam Lemos and took home the award for and#8220;Best Alternative Progressive Bandand#8221; at the Vegas Rocks! Award show.

The band in 2011 entered the studio with four-time Grammy Award winning engineer-mixer James and#8220;Bonzaiand#8221; Caruso to record the album and#8220;Here to Go.and#8221;