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Soulive | |
|---|---|
 Soulive andReggie Watts performing at theRochester International Jazz Festival in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Buffalo,New York,USA |
| Genres | Soul jazz,jazz funk,jazz fusion,soul music |
| Years active | 1999 – present |
| Labels | Velour Recordings,Blue Note,Concord,Stax |
| Members | Alan Evans Neal Evans Eric Krasno |
| Past members | Toussaint Yeshua |
| Website | soulive.com |
Soulive is afunk/jazz trio that originated inWoodstock, New York. 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 has worked extensively with different horn sections, which have included Sam Kininger (saxophone)[1] from 2000 to 2003,Rashawn Ross (trumpet), and Ryan Zoidis (saxophone) from 2003 to 2006.[2] The band also worked with vocalist Toussaint Yeshua from 2006 to 2007.[3] Soulive has toured in the original trio lineup of Eric Krasno, Alan Evans, and Neal Evans.[4]
In the 90s, brothers Alan and Neal Evans had been the rhythm section for the Northeasternjam band Moon Boot Lover with front man Peter Prince. After a brief foray into rap withEdreys akaBilly Drease Williams 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 (a friend they knew from high school days) to record some tracks with them in their home studio inWoodstock, New York. Thatjam session became their first album,Get Down! and the band shortly thereafter hit the road to begin touring.[5] It was during that first summer together that the band recorded their first LP,Turn It Out, forVelour Recordings.Turn It Out featured various guest musicians, includingJohn 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 embarked on five national tours. The band opened forThe Rolling Stones,[6]Dave Matthews Band,The Roots,Common,John Mayer, and others. The band also continued to play at various festivals, including theMonterey Jazz Festival andBonnaroo. Overseas, Soulive played shows in Japan and all over Europe.[7]
In the fall of 2000, Soulive signed a record deal withBlue Note Records. The following spring, Soulive released its first Blue Note album,Doin' Something, which featured horn arrangements byFred Wesley, the trombonist fromJames Brown's band.[5] The band's second Blue Note record,Next, featured guest vocalistsDave Matthews andAmel Larrieux, and rappersTalib Kweli andBlack Thought. During this time, the band also recorded with singer-songwriterGoapele Mohlabane.
In 2003, Soulive released a self-titled live album,Soulive (Live), and a collection of remixes,Turn It Out Remixed, which featured guestsJurassic 5,DJ Spinna,DJ Krush,J-Live,Wordsworth, andthe Beatnuts.
In the Summer of 2005, Soulive leftBlue Note Records and signed a new contract with the jazz labelConcord Records.[8]
On September 13, 2005, Soulive released its first album with Concord Records,Break Out. On this release the band eschewed extended jams for beat-driven instrumentals and collaborations withChaka Khan (featured on "Back Again"),Ivan Neville (featured on "Got Soul" and "Take It Easy"),[5]Corey Glover (featured on "Freedom"),Robert Randolph (featured on theJimi Hendrix cover "Crosstown Traffic" and also on "Interlude II"), andReggie Watts (featured on "She's Hooked" and "What Can You Do?").[8]
Late in 2006 the group recordedNo Place Like Soul with producerStewart Lerman at his studio inGreenwich Village, The Shinebox. The album was released onStax Records, which had been absorbed into Concord. On that album and the subsequent tour, Boston based reggae/soul artist Toussaint joined band as lead vocalist.[9] However, after the tour, the band decided to become a trio yet again. In a post to the Soulive messageboard,[10] 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."
In 2008, Soulive performed at the Newport Jazz Festival.[11][12]
Soulive released a new album,Up Here, on April 14, 2009. The album marked somewhat of a return to form for the group, as many of the songs are solely instrumentals. For this album, they were joined once again by Ryan Zoidis on tenor sax, Sam Kininger on alto sax - who are now under the alias/moniker "The Shady Horns" - as well as appearances by Rashawn Ross on trumpet. Nigel Hall also guests on the track "Too Much".
On July 28, 2009, Soulive played the pre-game festivities for the2009 MLS All-Star Game atThe Canyons inPark City, Utah.[13]
In 2010 the band released an album of Beatles covers entitledRubber Soulive. Neal Evans said in an interview, "We had a ton of different concept albums that we wanted to do over the years, including a ‘British Invasion’ album....When it came time to make a record we decided to follow through with the Beatles concept."[14] In 2019, Krasno moved to the West Coast, in part, to build a home studio and dig deeper into his producer work.[15] Soulive currently are focusing on city-specific runs and residencies. In 2020, he launched the Plus One podcast.[16]
Starting in 2010, Soulive has held an annual two-week, ten-night residency at theBrooklyn Bowl.[17] The shows run from Tuesday to Saturday, each night involving a different opening act consisting of a myriad of both announced and unannounced guest musicians. Rarely has Soulive played as a trio during these shows—a horn section called "The Shady Horns," has almost always joined them on stage. The players have changed slightly over the years, but the section usually includes Ryan Zoidis on tenor and baritone saxophones and Sam Kininger on alto saxophone.
Some of the guest musicians have included:
| Title (Notes) | Year released | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Get Down! (EP) | 1999 [re-released 2002] | Soulive /Velour Recordings |
| Turn It Out | 2000 [re-released 2002] | 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 |
| Up Here | 2009 | Royal Family |
| Live in San Francisco (live) | 2009 | Royal Family |
| Live at the Blue Note Tokyo (live) | 2010 | Royal Family |
| Rubber Soulive | 2010 | Royal Family |
| Spark! (withKarl Denson) | 2012 | Royal Family |
| Cinematics, Vol. 1 (EP) | 2018 | Soulive |
| Cinematics, Vol. 2 (EP) | 2024 | Soulive |
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