The Soul Rebels

The Soul Rebels are a brass band from New Orleans that blends the city's rich jazz traditions with marching band dynamics, hip-hop and soul music, and Afrocuban dance beats, among other things. They have been stepping outside the confines of being a brass band in their more recent work and tapping into a broader array of jazz styles. For years, they played at a typical marching band tempo and within the brass band structure. They are clearly not the only or the first act that blends jazz with hop-hop beats and rapping, but the brass/marching band angle that the Rebels bring to the table makes their work distinct. The list of artists they have collaborated with or played on is a ridiculously long one that includes obvious NOLA based artists like Trombone Shorty and Big Freedia, but also acts like Metallica, Green Day, and Katy Perry.