FROM THE ROCKIES TO THE URALS – WITH SOUL

2010/05/09-20

Saxophone players Chris Lang (left) and Matt White (right) with young colleagues from Yekaterinburg (State Dept.)

From the moment they arrived on Russian soil on Victory Day, the musicians of “Dave Le Mieux and the House of Soul” conquered the hearts of Russians from Yekaterinburg and Perm to Izhevsk. The 14-member ensemble featuring five vocalists, three horns, two percussionists, two strings, and two keyboard players presented a variety of music ranging from jazz to gospel to funk, soul and Latin. The powerhouse group originated from a church in Denver, Colorado, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and spread their wings to play in jazz clubs in Colorado and California. Their sound is unique and many Russians expressed amazement at the powerful “jazzified” arrangements of traditional gospel songs such as “We Shall Overcome,” civil rights anthems such as “Strange Fruit,” and standard compositions such as Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World.” The House of Soul led a two-day workshop for students of the annual Summer Jazz Academy, donated instruments to an orphanage for gifted musical children, played outdoors in a village and performed in Yekaterinburg’s annual Emerald City Festival among other venues. Everywhere they played they were met with nodding heads, rhythmic clapping, and standing ovations. Jazz will never be the same again in the Urals since the House of Soul arrived to play on Victory Day.