Live Concert Photography: Soul Rebels Brass Band feat. Talib Kweli, Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun, Rakim, Nigel Hall and Special Guests at Brooklyn Bowl 2/26/16-2/27/16

Live Concert Photography: Soul Rebels Brass Band feat. Talib Kweli, Buckshot, Smif-N-Wessun, Rakim, Nigel Hall and Special Guests at Brooklyn Bowl 2/26/16-2/27/16

If you’ve been frequenting this site over the course of past three or four years, you may have come across a post or two on New Orleans-based JOVM mainstay act The Soul Rebels, who have developed a growing national and international profile for a contemporary take on New Orleans’ brass band tradition as they blend elements of funk, soul, hip-hop, rock and jazz, often playing both brass band rearrangements and re-imagingings of beloved and familiar pop, soul and hip-hop songs along with original material — and for an incredibly raucous and rousing live show. Over the past couple of years the octet have managed to successfully tour across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. And as a result of a rapidly growing profile, The Soul Rebels have collaborated live with an impressively varied and lengthening list of artists including Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Marilyn Manson, Joey Bada$$, Big Freedia, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, Robert Glasper, Kool and the Gang, Slick Rick, Rakim, Talib Kweli, Buckshot Shorty, Smif-N-Wessun, The String Cheese Incident and others; they’ve also shared stages with Kanye West, The Allman Brothers Band, Gary Clarke, Jr., John Mayer, Jack White, Dave Matthews, Disclosure and Trombone Shorty, all of which suggest that the band is part of the next generation of bands to proselytize New Orleans long-held brass band and funk tradition, as well as establishing themselves as one of Crescent City’s best brass bands.

As you can imagine, there can be quite a bit of catching up on things, especially when you have a full-time job and run a site like this as a (mostly) one-man operation. Now back in February, I was at the JOVM unofficial home office, best known to outsiders as Brooklyn Bowl to catch the renowned New Orleans-based brass octet for two of the three nights of their annual residency, which featured the band collaborating with the aforementioned Big Freedia, Buckshot Shorty, Smif-N’Wessun, Rakim, Talib Kweli, Nigel Hall and others. Check out photos from both nights below.

(Photo Caption: The Soul Rebels Brass Band opening the night up with a set of their own material earlier this year.)

(Photo Caption: Joey Bada$$ with the Soul Rebels brass band earlier this year at Brooklyn Bowl.)

(Photo Caption: I’m pretty certain that Paul is everyone’s favorite member of the band. He also gives the best hugs.)

(Photo Caption: Talib Kweli with The Soul Rebels at Brooklyn Bowl, earlier this month.)

(Photo Caption: Big Freedia with The Soul Rebels Brass Band. As my friend JH said to me “Ain’t New York a great place? We can watch a crossdressing rapper and no one bats an eye; in fact, everyone can openly admit to her being dope!”)

(Photo Caption: Nigel Hall with The Soul Rebels Brass Band earlier this year.)

(Photo Caption: My man Paul with the LSU colored Nike Air Force Ones.)

(Photo Caption: The god emcee, Rakim with The Soul Rebels Brass Band at Brooklyn Bowl earlier this month.)

For these photos and more, check out the Flickr set here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/yankee32879/a95g6s