Биография

The Savants of Soul are a nine piece southern soul group from Gainesville, FL. They perform original soul music inspired by the Muscle Shoals Sound as well as the iconic and legendary music that came out of labels like Stax Records and Atlantic Records during the 1960s & 1970s. The band was formed circa 2011/2012 in Gainesville, FL. and has undergone several lineup changes through the years. The group settled into its current lineup around 2020 with a handful of original members as well as some new band members that joined between the years 2017 and 2020. The Savants of Soul are Justin McKenzie (vocals), Mandy Ferwerda (vocals, trumpet), John Gray Shermyen (Bass), Zack Emerson (Keyboards), Will Campbell (Guitar), Benny Cannon (Drums), Ray Vigil (Baritone Saxophone), Jordan Jones (Tenor Saxophone), and Jacob Armstrong (Trombone). The group has toured and made its presence known around the Southeast USA from Texas to Tennessee. Performing at many festivals such as Okeechobee Music & Arts Fest, Gasparilla Music Festival, Suwannee Rising, Suwannee Hulaween, and Red Gorilla at SXSW among others. The band has been featured alongside groups such as; Gary Clark Jr., Durand Jones and the Indications, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Kendra Morris, Charles Bradley and His Extraordinares, George Porter Jr of the Meters, The Original Wailers, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Postmodern Jukebox and more.