Soul Rebels Brass Band

The soulful roots of New Orleans culture permeate the sounds of Soul Rebels Brass Band, a new participant in the Great American Brass Band Festival. Soul Rebels Brass Band blends the sounds of Mardi Gras funk, soft rock and reggae, with an element of hip-hop thrown in and the addition of decades of New Orleans jazz tradition.The eight-strong ensemble includes Erion Williams, sax; Paul Robertson, trombone; Julian Gosin, trumpet; Corey Peyton, trombone; Lumar LeBlanc, snare drum and president; Derrick “Oops” Moss, vice-president, bass drum and percussion; Edward Lee, tuba; and Marcus “Red” Hubbard, trumpet.Soul Rebels Brass Band formed when Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss, originally members of Dejan’s Young Olympia Brass Band, decided they wanted to play the new music they heard on the radio while still staying true to beloved tradition. Since Hurricane Katrina struck its hometown in 2005, Soul Rebels Brass Band has served as an international ambassador of the New Orleans sound.The band considers its mission “to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz,” according to its website. To that end, the band has traveled the United States and abroad, to places as diverse as England, Greece, Italy, South Africa and France. The “Rebelution” promises to complete the nourishment of the body and feed the listeners’ souls with their unique sound — to “free your mind.”Soul Rebels Brass Band can be found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/soulrebelsbrassband?sk=info) and Twitter (@soulrebelsno).Website: www.soulrebelsbrassband.com