Imagine blending the sounds of Mardi Gras funk, soul, hard rock, afrobeat, and reggae so seamlessly it defies category. Now shrink that idea into a eight-piece ensemble, add a hip-hop sensibility plus a hundred years of New Orleans jazz tradition, and you get the Louisiana sound of The Soul Rebels. The band first formed when Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss, originally members of New Orleans' iconic Dejean's Young Olympia Brass Band, decided they wanted to play the new, exciting music they were hearing on the radio while respecting the tradition they loved. They found a stylistic middle ground when they spun off and formed a band of young, like-minded local players from all over New Orleans.
Since their early days performing as a local favorite in New Orleans, The Soul Rebels have shared the stage with notable artists from many corners of the pop and jazz worlds, including Arcade Fire, The Roots, Bootsy Collins, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, Counting Crows, Green Day, Drive By Truckers, James Brown, Roy Hargrove, Allen Toussaint, Chuck Brown, Terence Blanchard, The Gap Band, Better than Ezra and many more. Averaging around 250 shows per year, The Soul Rebels have brought the party to stages as far away as South Africa and Europe, playing some of the world's best-known music events, including the Umbria Jazz Fest, the Antibes Jazz Festival, The Montreal Jazz Festival, Bonnaroo, the Wanee Festival and, of course, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
This past January, The Soul Rebels finally released their first international album, Unlock Your Mind, on Rounder Records. This new song-driven studio effort includes guest appearances by Cyril Neville, Trombone Shorty, and Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli. Be sure to check out this band now before they rock Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, and many other festivals and concerts around the world. The band just sold out Brooklyn Bowl, did a week with Metallica, jammed with Green Day, toured with The New Mastersounds, and are currently touring the U.S. with Galactic! Called "the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong" by the Village Voice, The Soul Rebels continue to combine top-notch musicianship and songs with grooves that celebrate life in time-honored New Orleans style.
