East Bay Soul Headlines The Saturday Show At Berks County Jazz Festival 2009 on Saturday, April 4th.

Smooth Jazz Vibes: Golden Gate Double - Header
Peter Bohl reviews East Bay Soul at Berks Jazz Fest 2009

It was evident that the roots of this band were in funk and soul, the horn arrangements were very reminiscent of TOP. Greg Adams played some great trumpet and flugelhorn solos, bringing back a much welcomed jazz element.
The opening track was smoking. Soon, singer Phil Perry was brought to the stage, singing two songs, among them his take on the War classic "The World is A Ghetto".

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Brian Rachlin shares his photos and review :
Greg mentioned his roots with TOP a couple of times, eliciting applause and crowd reaction each time. He explained some things about the music of EBS, and his interplay with the audience added to the show. Although photography at the show is a no-no, I did get a couple of no-flash shots:

The Set list for the show-

Phil Perry and James Wirrick on Guitar-

Greg Adams, Lee Thornburg and Michael Paulo on stage. Lee Thornburg did a great vocal on a Howard Tate soul classic "Stop"

Combining the best elements of smooth jazz, soul and some Oakland style funk, the band put on a fantastic show. Featuring a stellar lineup of musicians, plus vocalist Phil Perry, EBS takes you on a journey with their music. From a Latin feel, to an urban feel, through jazz and funk, the common denominator on all of their music is solid, excellent musicianship. All of the players in the band are top notch musicians, all given free reign to throw down some great solo playing, and within the tightness of Greg's arrangements and on-stage conducting.

Their last song,  Cubra Libre was a Latin jazz tune that was written originally for a TV show that didn't make it to air. Great tune, and they followed it up with "What is Hip" as their encore, and got a tremendous reaction from the crowd.

When East Bay Soul comes to a venue near you, buy a ticket, and make it to the show.  I promise you will have a great time!

photos by Brian Rachlin