The Soul Rebels

The Soul Rebels are a New Orleans group active since 1991. They are a jazz ensemble rooted in the city’s brass-band tradition, with a sound shaped by Mardi Gras funk, hip hop, reggae, soft rock and New Orleans jazz. The group is described as a seven-piece, though the current line-up is listed with Marcus Hubbard, Erion Williams, Paul Robertson, Corey Glover, Julian Gosin, Lumar LeBlanc, Edward Lee Jr., Derrick Moss, Manuel Perkins Jr., Corey Peyton, Winston Turner and Tannon “Fish” Williams.

Background and style

Formed in New Orleans, the band develops from the second-line and jazz funeral traditions of the city. Its members are college-trained multi-instrumentalists, and the group presents its music as a mix of dance-floor funk and New Orleans jazz heritage. The Soul Rebels also state a mission to nurture and perpetuate New Orleans jazz.

Performances and collaborations

The band makes its professional debut at Tipitina’s in New Orleans while performing with the Neville Brothers, and continues to open for them. It also opens for a wide range of artists, including Bootsy Collins, A Tribe Called Quest, Better Than Ezra, Counting Crows, Green Day, Olympia Brass Band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Roy Hargrove, James Brown, Allen Toussaint, Lionel Hampton, Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, The Fugees, Digital Underground, The Roots, Brand New Heavies, The Gap Band, and Robert Plant & Jimmy Page.

Touring and festivals

The Soul Rebels tour in the United States and internationally, with performances in England, Greece, Italy, South Africa and France. They appear at festivals including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, North Sea Jazz Fest, Jazz Ascona, Spain Jazz Fest, New Orleans by the Bay, Ray Charles Jazz Festival in Atlanta, Banlieues Bleues, High Sierra Music Fest, Charleston Music and Heritage Fest, River Roots Fest in Iowa, P-Fest in Pensacola, Voodoo Fest, Bonnaroo, JVC Jazz Fest, Chicago Jazz and Blues Fest, Lafayette Crawfish Festival, Umbria Jazz Fest and Art of Jazz Festival in Toronto.