Lettuce cooks with their newest album!

Photo courtesy of Steven Pisano, Brooklyn NY, USA/Wikimedia Commons

Lettuce has been performing live since 1992, and still appear to be going strong as a band and cooking up smash-hits.

Turns out that liking lettuce reaps more benefits than just being a healthy eater. You also get to enjoy the delicious new sounds of Lettuce’s brand new album, Cook, which was released just last month on Dec. 3, 2025. 

For those unaware, Lettuce is a funk and jazz band dating back to 1992, although they did not release their first album until 2002. Currently, the band is made up of Eric Coomes, Adam Deitch, Adam Smirnoff, and Ryan Zoidis, who have been around since the beginning. Slightly newer members include Nigel Halls and Eric Bloom. Starting out as teenagers that played at jazz clubs, the band exploded and received well-earned popularity. By 2015, their album Crush (2015) had reached the top of the billboard for Jazz Albums. By 2020, their album Elevate (2019) had been nominated in the Grammys for the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. 

With all this under their belt, it should come as no surprise that their latest album, Cook, was an absolute delight. It was described by band member Adom Deitch as being much more “three-dimensional” than their other albums, each of the songs having their own distinct flavor.  This allows everyone to find something that they like in the Cook album, even those who are not usually fans of funk or jazz. 

It is hard not to be put in a good mood after listening to the peppy, feel-good vibes of “Grewt Up” or become entranced by the slower, more mysterious feeling of listening to “Storm Coming.” Every song is a perfectly made dish, but the main course of the album is definitely “Keep On.” Not only is it the only song on the album to include lyrics, but was even co-written by Emilio Castillo, the founder of the band Tower of Power. 

According to a biography found on AllMusic, the band’s rather comedic name, “Lettuce” is a pun. It has roots in their early days, when they had to go around to different jazz clubs and ask to “let us play.” Whether they stumbled upon such a name by accident or not, it continues to be a massive part of their branding. They continue to use the name as a pun, and embrace all the food-related opportunities the name allows them. 

This is obviously clear with the latest album being Cook, but it is also clear in what was released alongside the album. Lettuce partnered with Aquila Cellars to launch their very own brand of wine, known as Lettuce Red Crush and Lettuce Orange Crush. The wines will be distributed by Benny and Zoid Selections, according to Lettuce’s website. Furthermore, a short recipe book of the same name as the album even comes with the purchasing a vinyl of Cook. The band can even be seen making these same recipes on their YouTube Channel, in a series which just so happens to also be called Lettuce Cook. 

Lettuce isn’t just cooking up tasty dishes and tastier songs. They are also serving opportunities! The band partnered with the organization Music is a Language, a non-profit organization based around music education, to create a full tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music. This is the same school where the founding members of Lettuce all met, and it is a beautiful act to give back to the college where Lettuce got started. 

Whether you have followed Lettuce for years or have never listened to their music before, I suggest giving their newest album a listen. I can guarantee you will find yourself swept up into the delectable sounds, and become an instant fan!