The Soul Rebels, or the Soul Rebels Brass Band, are one of the city’s most veteran – yet absolutely contemporary – brass bands, incorporating hip-hop, soul, straight-ahead jazz, rock, and pure pop into the brass band framework. They’ve been described by The Village Voice as “the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong,” and have performed around the world, in films and on television, and with stars from every musical genre. The band, which includes 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, began when Moss and LeBlanc met as members of the traditional Harold Dejan’s Young Olympia Brass Band and wanted to play contemporary pop tunes in the brass band context. The Soul Rebels emerged in 1991, getting their big break opening for Cyril Neville, who gave them their name.

The Soul Rebels soon took on a popularity among music lovers and fellow musicians; they have collaborated with a host of artists ranging from Nas, GZA, and Metallica to Rakim to Living Color’s Corey Glover to Slick Rick; as musical forms evolve, the Soul Rebels adapt and embrace new sounds. They continue to tour heavily, stay busy in the recording studio, and garner attention on social and other media platforms. Their 2012 “Unlock Your Mind” was a breakthrough album; the 2019 “Poetry in Motion” was also a critical and fan-pleasing hit.