St. Paul and The Broken Bones: The Future of Soul Music Is NOW
From Sunday church music to 60's soul. From Muscle Shoals to Memphis. From Otis Redding and Al Green to the Stax Horn Section.
Put them all together and you've got St. Paul and The Broken Bones.
The seven piece band is fronted by Paul Janeway. You close your eyes and you can feel Otis Redding. They even close the show with a raucous version of "Try A Little Tenderness". The rest of the band puts out a rhythm so tight that you can feel it throughout your body.
The thing about great soul music is it makes you move. You start by tapping your feet. Then your hips start to swivel. Your shoulders sway and your head follows. Your entire body is moving and you can feel the groove inside you. It's almost a spiritual experience.
That was the scene last night at a sold out show, at Metro, in Chicago.
You looked around the venue and everyone was standing (no seats) and dancing. The crowd which ranged from 18 to 60ish couldn't stop moving and dancing. It was that kind of show. It was that kind of night.
Every year I try to find a new band to add to my listening catalog. Some years I can find one, some years no. The last two have come from Alabama. A couple of years ago there was Alabama Shakes and now these guys. Both continue the great Muscle Shoals sound and tradition from that state. Btw...thanks to Nancy Douglass for letting me know about this band. (if you see or tell me things, I give credit!!)
So check them out on YouTube. Find their CD. See them while they're still playing small venues. The ticket price last night was $20. How can you beat that?
These guys are going to be huge! There's still time to say, you saw them in the early days.
Until then...just....SHAKE!