Editor’s Picks for September
August 29, 2013
BOB Profile: Susan Cowsill
August 30, 2013
At the Blue Eyed Soul Revue’s shows, don’t be surprised to hear other styles of music mixed in with the namesake. Between covers of Otis Redding and Sam and Dave, the band may jump into Maroon 5’s “Moves like Jagger” or even V.I.C.’s popular hip-hop song “Wobble.”
The Houma-based group celebrates its 30th anniversary in October and has expanded its set list to appeal to a more general audience while staying true to the foundation of rhythm and blues and soul.
“We have changed players, but still we kept the core of the music. The repertoire is the same – soul and R&B – and there’s a time and place for that,” said band leader and saxophonist Mike Vice. “At some parties, you’ll have 20s and up, so we try to play a wide range, a variety.”
The eight-piece band’s instrumentation and style allow for diversity in live performances. Instead of planning a set list, band members decide between a ‘70s Chicago hit or a Bruno Mars song after scoping out the audience.
Blue Eyed Soul Revue are one of three bands carried over from the inaugural Best of the Bayou. They play festivals, casinos, private parties and Mardi Gras functions, and vocalist Errol Bourgeois said he hopes the band’s inclusion of modern hits will lead to more requests to perform at weddings.
“I think what sets Blue Eyed Soul apart is we have great musicians. Some of these cats are the best in the business,” he said. “They’re musicians and professionals. The professionalism sets us apart.”
Vice said Blue Eyed Soul Revue has performed with at least 100 artists, including Percy Sledge, Fats Domino and Blood, Sweat and Tears. As Jazz Fest regulars, they have shared the stage with New Orleans artists such as Al “Carnival Time” Johnson and, this year, Clarence “Frogman” Henry.
“At Jazz Fest, we played ‘Carnival Time,’ and several people told me it sounded like the record. That’s what we always strive to do, make it sound like the original. That’s been successful for us,” Vice said.
The Blue Eyed Soul Revue’s players joke with carnival club members and get the casino crowds on their feet for line dances. Bourgeois said he can “get crazy and have a lot of fun with the audience” when appropriate, but he and the other band members also know when to pull back.
“We take our music seriously, and we dress up rather than down,” Vice said. “That’s the image of the band we try to portray: professionalism in music and in presentation.”
