The Soul Rebels: Poetry In Motion

The Soul Rebels is an eight-piece, New Orleans brass ensemble that employs elements of soul, jazz, funk, hip-hop, rock and pop. The group has been described by the Village Voice as "the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong."

The band aims to provoke. The title of this album derives from a ghastly 1960s pop song by Johnny Tillotson, and one of the band's best remembered gigs is one they played with the Californian thrash metal band Metallica.

But when they are done staring threateningly from the covers of their albums, wearing clothes supplied by Bape, Billionaire Boys Club, Icecream and Rock the Vibe or consulting diverse stylists and groomers supplied by their management, the musicians do radiate something irrefutably jazzy that may be worth serious consideration.

What's more, they seem to believe in their product, on the opening number, "Blow the Horns," stating quite clearly—well, reasonably clearly—"Right now we're making history." The trouble is the finished product doesn't sound particularly historic; it sounds like just another mediocre rap song, in which rhyming is perfunctory: "You're in the presence of a rebel now; you haven't got to take it to another level now."

The lineup comprises percussionists and founding members Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss, trumpet players Julian Gosin and Marcus Hubbard, trombonists Corey Peyton and Paul Robertson, saxophonist Erion Williams and sousaphonist Manuel Perkins Jr.

Le Blanc says his musical influences include the Olympia and Dirty Dozen brass bands... and The Doors. His favorite food is red beans and rice and his favorite cars are Porsches. His motto is—stand by for profundity—"Treat people the way you want to be treated."

"Down For My City" is dedicated to the joys of New Orleans and Cajun cooking—"a city where they're drinking and partying every day"—and continues "What kind of city got the culture and wordplay?" A Soul Rebel yells ecstatically: "What kind of city? We got food, we got love, we got taste."

"Slide Back" is about a man impatient for love—"Slide back, let it go. Let's do things nobody knows. I've got to have you." The male voice urges, "Just whisper when it's time to go" and the lady answers sotto voce "I'm ready to go."

Below the album title on the sleeve, a bearded Rebel stands clutching his genitals with his left hand, while giving a "V for victory" salute with his right.