The Tony Soul Project hit the Village Trestle running last Saturday night and went over big with fans of American soul and R&B music. Mr. Soul, hailing from the Worcester, Massachusetts area, came across as a natural born entertainer, rallying his seven piece band and the audience to new heights of enjoyment with each song.
Mr. Soul couldn’t go wrong with the crowd pleasers he chose to perform at the Goffstown, New Hampshire venue. “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” was one tune he and his band mates had chosen for its party vibe. Mr. Soul’s three piece horn section and guest vocalist Alexandria “Funk” Bianco built up multiple textures to create that lively feeling. Matt Sambito’s funky bass lines were another plus, especially as he helped the band segue into “Cloud Nine” then back into “Papa.”
Tony Soul Project’s guitarist, Mikey K, pressed out a mean guitar phrase during The Rolling Stone’s “The Last Time” before Mr. Soul and Ms. Funk finessed the Ike And Tina Turner arrangement of “Rolling On The River,” jumping into that up tempo mode to rock it up. Funk’s voice was silky smooth and rangy as hell. She might be small but she is packed with talent.
“Knock On Wood” played out with a solid groove, some engaging horn swells, and Mr. Soul’s emotive vocals. He also knew how to lead his Village Trestle crowd straight into a party vibe, pulling some patrons onto the dance floor. Mr. Soul, commencing his second set, cut through a huge swell of horns and backing vocals to perform the Joe Cocker version of “With A Little Help From My Friends.” He sang with his soul on his sleeve. It was clear he liked the song, and he showed it last Saturday night.
Mr. Soul and his Tony Soul Project turned “Lucille” into a rocking, romping affair that had the joint jumping. Patrons couldn’t resist its siren call onto the dance floor. The band then moved into what turned out to be the best number of the evening, “Unchain My Heart.” Mr. Soul Caressed every syllable of every verse with his honey smooth croon. Backing vocalists Alexandria “Funk” Bianco and Roxanne Young-Mann, who showed up as a fan, hit the right register in the right way while the horn section was particularly adept. It also didn’t hurt to have harmonica giant Otis Doncaster blowing another layer of cool over it all.
During “Hold On,” Mr. Soul and Roxanne Mann traded lead vocals to create a double layer of voice texture, leading the funky changes between the players. Topped off with funky bass lines and that empowered horn section, the whole thing got a chunky, three dimensional lift off.
Blasting into “I’m So Glad,” popularized by Cream, originally recorded by Skip James who based it on “So Tired” by Art Sizemore and George A. Little, Mr. Soul made everyone feel the history of the song. He and the musicians played it with tremendous power, honoring something that’s been around, in one form or another, since the 1920s. Their version unfurled with rock and roll abandon, guitarist Mikey K playing an electrifying phrase that many in the room might have wished was longer.
The Tony Soul Project’s version of “Hound Dog” was marked by Ms. Funk’s svelte, rangy delivery, Mikey K’s bold, piercing guitar phrase, and Doncaster’s electric blues harmonica. The trumpet and trombone, too, were particularly powerful here. Then, Ms. Funk belted Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown” with the power required to make that 1969 classic come alive. Mikey K’s guitar wailed, making a fine nod to the behemoth 1970s band. Still in Led Zep mode, the band’s new drummer, Al Clark, tore into “Rock And Roll” from the unnamed fourth album with plenty of fills and rolls, giving the song its needed twists and turns. And for the second time, Ms. Funk Bianco sang it like a woman possessed, matching the energy coming from the drum set.
Mr. Tony Soul himself, with his entirely soulful belting, dominated Al Green’s “Take Me To The River.” Soulful abandon and steady purpose, this was another you could tell he really enjoyed singing. The players followed his lead and made the song grow tumescent with swaggering guitar, bass, and drums, and a bulbous groove from the rhythm section.
The Tony Soul Projected showed off some of their blues chops with Lowell Fulson’s “Tramp” before heading into “Good Rockin Tonight” then went back into the blues with “Howlin’ Wolf’s “Little Red Rooster.” Each tune found Doncaster sprucing them up with the right touches for the right song. Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” got plenty of guitar gruel from Mikey K with Mr. Soul’s smooth vocals contrasting smartly with the melodic instruments.
The Tony Soul Project closed out their final set with “Wang Dang Doodle” and “Mustang Sally,” two classics that imprinted this band’s interest in specific genres from specific time periods. Making the music come alive with horns and backing vocalists and crack musicianship is what makes The Tony Soul Project a must for any venue that wants a party vibe to keep people dancing to good music.
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