Soulbop

Soulbop is performing on Saturday August 25th, 2007 at 4:45pm on the Fidelity Stage 

Straddling the line between funk and jazz, Soulbop was conceived by veteran trumpeter Randy Brecker and ex-Miles Davis saxophonist Bill Evans in response to Bob Berg’s untimely death, which scuttled Brecker’s touring plans for 34th N Lex (ESC, 2003). Brecker and Evans’ 2003 tour with their newly formed Soulbop Band turned out to be one of those unexpected positives that sometimes emerge out of tragedy—so successful, in fact, that a 2004 European tour was booked, finishing up with a triumphant week-long run at New York’s Iridium club.

The band’s name really does say it all. Some songs are pure soul, like Evans’ homage to Eddie Harris, “Cool Eddie,” and the staggered funk of “Dixie Hop.” But while bassist Victor Bailey and drummer Steve Smith are completely comfortable laying down visceral grooves, they’re equally capable of swinging hard, as they do during Evans’ powerful soprano solo on “Soul Bop.”