Street sounds -- Soul Rebels Brass hones skills on Big Easy byways

Lumar LeBlanc and Co. — also known as Soul Rebels Brass Band — is stoked to be performing at the 2011 Great American Brass Band Festival. And the band is happy to be bringing its “organic sound,” comprised of a tuba, two trombones, two trumpets, a sax and two drums.“We’re honored to be asked to the festival, honored to play for the festival,” explained LeBlanc in a telephone interview from the road. “(The festival) honors brass bands, and that’s definitely up our alley. We’re going to come and give you guys some energetic, soulful music that just knocks you off your feet.”Soul Rebels Brass Band formed in 1991 when LeBlanc and Derrick Moss, who were members of New Orleans’ esteemed Dejean’s Young Olympia Brass Band, decided to branch out and play music that blended the new music they heard with the traditional sounds they admired. The duo had strong backgrounds in New Orleans jazz, being natives of the Birthplace of Jazz, but contemporary music also was on their radar.LeBlanc noted they didn’t want to be disrespectful of “Nawlins’” brass tradition but they wanted to make their own sounds. They formed a band of young, local players with the same vision, all of whom were graduates of university music programs throughout the South. Then, the newly-formed Soul Rebels took to the streets of New Orleans to gain experience and further refine its sound.Today, that smooth, soulful brass sound also contains strains of hip-hop, rock, R&B, funk and reggae. “It’s music that kind of embraces all the different genres of music,” said LeBlanc, who plays snare drum and provides vocals for Soul Rebels. Also in the group are: Curtis Watson Jr., vocals and trumpet; William Terry, soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones; Byron Bernard, tenor saxophone; Mervin Campbell, trumpet and flugelhorn; Steven Johnson and Ronell Johnson, trombone; Damoion Francois, tuba; and Derrick J. Moss, bass drum.The name of the band comes from a Bob Marley song, “Soul Rebel.”I'm a rebel, soul rebelI'm a capturer, soul adventurerDo you hear meI'm a rebel, rebel in the morningSoul rebel, rebel at midday time ...“We definitely get the reggae vibe going,” LeBlanc added.He is emphatic that Soul Rebels Brass Band takes seriously brass music.“We respect it. This is a brass band that is trying to bring this style of music (to the forefront),” LeBlanc explained. “It’s important for them to know that. The R&B, rap, rock and whatever other forms of pop they have — it’s important for the world to know that we can do it.”Soul Rebels will perform Friday from 8-9:30 p.m. and at 10 a.m. Saturday in Weisiger Park, will march in the parade at 11 a.m. and close the show on the Main Stage at Centre College at 10 p.m. Saturday.