Soulive

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Soulive is a funk/jazz trio that originated in Woodstock, New York, and is known for its ripping solos and catchy, upbeat songs. The band consists of Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums), and Neal Evans (Hammond B3 organ, bass keys, clavinet). Although they originated as a trio, the band worked extensively with different horn sections, which consisted of Sam Kininger (saxophone) from 2000-2003, and Rashawn Ross (trumpet) and Ryan Zoidis (saxophone) from 2003-2006. The band also worked with vocalist Toussaint Yeshua from 2006-2007. Soulive is currently touring in the original trio lineup of Eric Krasno, Alan Evans, and Neal Evans.

Contents

[edit] History

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In the 90's, brothers Alan and Neal Evans had been the rhythm section for the Northeastern jam band Moon Boot Lover with front man Peter Prince. After a brief foray into rap under the name, The Elements, the brothers looked to form a traditional Jazz organ trio. On March 2, 1999, Alan and Neal invited guitarist Eric Krasno to record some tracks with them in their home studio in Woodstock, New York. That jam session became their first EP, Get Down! and the band shortly thereafter realized their potential together and hit the road to begin touring. It was during that first summer together that the band recorded their first LP, Turn It Out, for Velour Recordings. Turn It Out featured various distinguished guest musicians, including John Scofield, Oteil Burbridge, and Sam Kininger. The independently produced album went on to sell 65,000 copies, enabling Soulive to gain recognition in the jazz/funk scene.

In the next three years, Soulive would develop a loyal fan base while shaping a prolific touring career. They embarked on five national tours headlining 1,000-to 2,000-capacity venues in all major markets. The band opened for The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, The Roots, Common, John Mayer, and others. The band also continued to play at various festivals, including the Monterey Jazz Festival and Bonnaroo. Overseas, Soulive would consistently sell out shows in Japan and all over Europe.

In the fall of 2000, Soulive signed a record deal with Blue Note Records, a respected jazz record label. In the spring of 2001, Soulive released its first Blue Note album, Doin' Something, which featured horn arrangements by Fred Wesley, the trombonist from James Brown's band. The band's second Blue Note record, Next, was broader than their previous releases, featuring guest vocalists Dave Matthews and Amel Larrieux, and rappers Talib Kweli and Black Thought. During this time, the band also recorded with singer-songwriter Goapele Mohlabane.

In 2003, Soulive released a self-titled live album, Soulive (Live), and a collection of remixes, Turn It Out Remixed, which featured guests Jurassic 5, DJ Spinna, DJ Krush, J-Live, Wordsworth, and the Beatnuts.

In the Summer of 2005, Soulive left Blue Note Records and signed a new contract with the jazz label Concord Records.

On September 13, 2005, Soulive released its first album with Concord Records, Break Out, which proved to be a step in a different direction for the band musically. Gone are the extended jams; in their place are beat-driven instrumentals and dazzling collaborations with a host of inspiring artists, including Chaka Khan (featured on "Back Again"), Ivan Neville (featured on "Got Soul" and "Take It Easy"), Corey Glover (featured on "Freedom"), Robert Randolph (featured on the Jimi Hendrix cover "Crosstown Traffic" and also on "Interlude II"), and Reggie Watts (featured on "She's Hooked" and "What Can You Do?"). Late in 2006 the group recorded No Place Like Soul with producer Stewart Lerman at his studio in Greenwich Village, The Shinebox.

As of the summer of 2007, Boston based reggae/soul artist Toussaint has been invited by the band to permanently fill the position of lead vocalist. However, after the tour, the band decided to become a trio yet again. In a post to the Soulive messageboard, Alan Evans explained: "we just want to have fun. no more chasing the pop thing or whatever that is. we just want to go out and rage, no setlists, no huge venues, no tour buses. just have fun. this is not to say we didn't have fun with tours, we did but we realized that in looking at our past...we have had the most success and most fun when it was just the trio." (http://soulive.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3138)

[edit] See also

[edit] Discography

[edit] Original albums

title year label
Get Down! 1999 Velour Recordings
Turn It Out 1999 Velour Recordings
Doin' Something 2001 Blue Note
Next 2002 Blue Note
Soulive (live) 2003 Blue Note
Turn It Out Remixed 2003 Velour Recordings
Steady Groovin' (compilation) 2005 Blue Note
Break Out 2005 Concord
No Place Like Soul 2007 Stax Records

[edit] Instant live series

stage place recording date
Beachland Ballroom and Tavern Cleveland, OH 9/28/04
Blind Pig Ann Arbor, MI 9/29/04
Fine Line Café Minneapolis, MN 10/2/04
Iowa State University Ames, IA 10/3/04
Garanda Lawrence, KS 10/4/04
Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO 10/6/04
32 Bleu Colorado Springs, CO 10/7/04
Shaggy's Velvet Room Salt Lake City, UT 10/10/04
Conga Room Los Angeles, CA 10/13/04

[edit] External links

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