Gobs of Soul at the Knotty

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

By Aaron Davis

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-It’s tough picking a band name, but Soulive must have had a moment of Zen when choosing theirs. The funk-soul foundation they bring to the live stage is likened to their contemporaries—Greyboy Allstars, Medeski Martin  & Wood, Galactic—with a tablespoon of John Scofield jazz, a half cup of James Brown funk, a dash of Al Green R&B, and well, gobs of soul.

Soulive will roll into Victor on Thursday with a self-produced, self-released disc, Up Here. It brings to mind their 1999 release, Turn it Out, but with a matured execution of thoughtful arrangements, built around punchy horns and heavy drum and bass grooves from brothers Alan (drums) and Neal Evans (Hammond B3 organ, bass keys, clavinet). The analog-sounding, early-70s quality recording stands out among today’s over-focused, digital revolution.

“We don’t even try to catch the vibe of our live shows when recording in the studio … it’s pointless,” Alan Evans said. “There’s so much more to the live experience than just the music. The people you run into during the day and the different experiences you have … being the audience or a band member, is brought to the show.”

Soulive has been on several labels during its 10-year recording career, including Blue Note and Stax, before opting to form its own label, Royal Family Records two years ago. Now, band members are in complete control—over their image, where and when they want to record and maintaining a grassroots inspired operation that is impressively accessible to fans.

“Our website is influenced by the social networking vibe like Twitter and Facebook,” Evans explained. “In a way, we’re trying to get closer to capturing the live experience, not necessarily in our music, but our overall vibe. For us, this keeps the live experience going throughout the tour.”

Soulive quickly gained recognition in the jazz-funk scene early in their career, embarking on well-exposed tours with The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, The Roots and John Mayer. During the time when jazz-folk pianist Norah Jones captivated the nation, the band joined the ranks of Miles Davis and John Coltrane by being a part of the Blue Note label. It went on to establish a long list of collaborators in the studio including Robert Randolph, Ivan Neville, Derek Trucks, Chaka Khan, John Scofield, Oteil Burbridge and Talib Kweli.

Alan has been recording each show of the current tour, mixing it backstage, and offering a disc for purchase in as little as ten minutes after the concert. This is the first tour that it has ever “toured the album,” meaning that everyone who played on the album is with them on the road. This includes retro-soul vocalist Nigel Hall, who contributes to tracks “Too Much” and “Tonight,” and the Shady horns—Sam Kininger on alto sax and Ryan Zoidis on tenor and alto sax. Alan joked that they had to relearn and rehearse the album tunes for tour, and that each one is taking new shape with each show.

“People are paying money to see us do our thing, and we’re going to rock it hard every single night,” Evans said. “That’s what we do.” PJH

Soulive featuring the Shady Horns and special guest Nigel Hall will play at 10 p.m. on Thursday at the Knotty Pine in Victor. Tickets are $28 and available now.

COURTESY PHOTO
Soulive

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Gobs of Soul at the Knotty | Planet JH News Article: Music Box

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