If the measure of a band's quality is the company that they keep, Soulive must be superb. Perhaps best known for their collaboration with Talib Kweli, this groove-oriented soul band has also worked with diverse acts ranging from Black Thought of the Roots to ??berjammer John Scofield. They pull into Luther's Blues, 1401 University Ave., Friday night at 10 p.m., and drummer Alan Evans chatted with the Cardinal.
Your bio defines your sound as a mix of funk, jazz and hip-hop. Is there a more concise definition?
Soul music. That's the easiest description. It is all about soul.
Who are your influences?
That's a tough one. James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green, those would be some as a band. But that's really hard because we listen to so much music and it all finds its way in there.
What are you listening to right now?
James Brown, Van Halen, Stevie Wonder. That's some of the stuff. It's always changing.
Is there any rivalry between you and your brother Neal [organs]?
If there is any kind of competition, it's all good, but there's really none. He's a great writer and he inspires me a lot to write music. I just really dig his music, and would even if he wasn't my brother. I really love his music, he really digs mine and it just pushes both of us forward.
So you're not like the Gallagher brothers?
No. [Laughs].
Do you know any bands with brothers that got along, or are you guys the first?
I know that the Wootens get along'Victor and Roy'and all those cats from Bela Fleck. And it's funny, of all the cats, the siblings I know that do play together, I don't know any don't get along. But obviously there are.
You know the Van Halen brothers didn't get along.
Yeah, exactly. [laughs]
What can we expect at tonight's show?
High, high energy. People just really dancing and getting down. That's what it's all about'feelin' good. We don't play to people. It's all one. We all feed off of each other.
