Background
The Savants of Soul are a genre-melding energetic soul band intricately peppered with the zest of funk, the spice of modern R&B and the gentle smoothness of classic Motown styles.
“We’re based off of 1950s, 1960s and 1970s soul music so we kind of use the whole Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Motown, The Supremes, those kind of troupes, and we kind of throw our own little flare on it,” said Alex Klausner, founding member and drummer for The Savants of Soul.
Via: Facebook
The band is comprised of 10 rowdy members, including vocalists Justin McKenzie, the man in the powder blue suit; Christina Holder, the saucy songstress that falls somewhere on the spectrum between young Aretha Franklin and Amy Winehouse sans the chain smoking; guitarist Austin Van Wie; bassist John Gray Shermyen; keyboardist Jason Bontrager; aforementioned drummer Alex Klausner; trumpet player Mandy Moo; trombone player Matt Rossmann; alto saxophonist Ray Vigil and tenor saxophonist David Rinehart; all of which bring their own influences to the table.
Song(s) To Know
“You’re All Mine” is an anthemic, groovy, crowd-rousing bop with a recognizable and catchy guitar riff that inspires listeners to learn the lyrics.
“Honey Child” is, as Swamp Records’ president Breana Auberry aptly described, the shit. The lyrics are taken to soaring heights by Christina Holder’s scintillating vocals and masterful instrumentation synonymous with that of The Savants.
Recent Projects
The Savants of Soul’s 9-track debut album, named Downtown Sounds after the band’s stomping ground, was released on Nov. 11, is currently streaming on Grooveshark and Spotify and is available for purchase on iTunes. The album is also currently being pressed on vinyl and will be sold sometime in the near future.
“I am glad to be a part of bringing soul back because I think soul is an element, especially in the modern society, that has been lost because no one likes to act like people have problems, or acknowledge them,” said vocalist Christina Holder on the album’s release. “It’s how you connect with other people on a deeper level and how we get people involved in our music, is through personal connection, so I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Via: Swamp Records
The Savants of Soul also hosted their album release party at The Atlantic in Downtown Gainesville on Nov. 14, to a packed house, where they performed songs from the album as well as a few covers.
Doors opened at 9 p.m., the show started at 10 p.m., already having met The Atlantic’s max capacity of 217 bodies before the opening act, The Throws, even hit the stage. The Savants of Soul took the stage around 11 p.m. donning their finest attire, including suits and ties, black silk gloves and a signature powder blue suit fit for the funkiest man in town.
The Savants performed songs from their new debut album, Downtown Sound, of course, as well as covers of hits such as the late Amy Winehouse’s rendition of “Valerie,” originally recorded by The Zutons, and Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean,” a favorite to perform said vocalist Christina Holder.
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The genius of The Savants of Soul lies not only in the music, but also in the sparks of chemistry between each member during any given performance. It’s reflected in the way the trumpet-wielding beauty Mandy Moo turns to her left and sings along into the face of trombone-playing Matt Rossmann in between each brass session with a sassy smile plastered on her face; in the seamless seemingly impromptu choreography; in the way each of the 10 members manage to attract equal attention rather than getting lost in the background of the glowing performance.
What the Future Holds
“What is in our future and what needs to be in our future is travel because we’ve done very well for ourselves here in Gainesville and I think to really get the word out about our band and we’ve had some really great shows but we need to start doing this in other cities for this band to really be successful and get to where it needs to go,” said drummer Alex Klausner. “We can’t just sit here and be a Gainesville band, like this show we feel is very special and we need to share it with the world.”
The Savants of Soul will also be playing a show at Loosey’s in Downtown Gainesville on Dec. 5.
Feature photo courtesy of: Swamp Records
