Southern Avenue Announce New Album And May 2019 London Show

We saw this happening soul ensemble at Cornbury and loved their punch and material now they have news…

Named after the street that led to Soulsville, USA, the boundary-breaking Memphis combo Southern Avenue burst onto the scene with their self-titled 2017 debut album, sparking a one-band musical revolution and embodying an effortlessly organic soul/blues/R&B fusion that reflects the band members’ diverse roots as well as their deep commitment to their chosen style. On their second album Keep On, out now via Concord Records, the dynamic outfit expands its gritty musical vision to embrace new musical challenges and a more expansive creative horizon. The album never lets up with a churning blend of horns, gospel-tinged harmonies, and a rhythm section that would make any southern soul icon proud. It’s a return of the Memphis sound – a gritty, funky mojo – ringing once again down Southern Avenue.

Southern Avenue combines the talents of a prodigiously talented set of young musicians who bring their individual backgrounds to the table to create music that carries the Southern soul legacy into the 21st century. Since the release of their debut, Southern Avenue has played in over a dozen countries and wowed audiences at countless festivals, in the US as well as Europe.

The musicians recorded the album with producer Johnny Black (Jessie J, Daughtry, Estelle) at Memphis’ legendary Sam Phillips Recording, with guest appearances by seminal Stax Records artist William Bell, noted Memphis musician Gage Markey (who serves as guest bassist on most of the album) and a horn section comprised of Art Edmaiston (JJ Grey & Mofro, Gregg Allman) and Marc Franklin (The Bo-Keys, Gregg Allman).

As Johnny explains, “The thing that stood out most to me about Southern Avenue is their dedication to making this record ‘the hard way.’ Even in their selection of studios; by picking Sam Phillips Recording, the band, in essence, forced themselves to record within the same parameters as some of their heroes. And while that process may have taken extra time, it was well worth the effort.”

Guitar virtuoso Ori Naftaly originally built his reputation in his native Israel, coming to Memphis in 2013 to compete in the prestigious International Blues Challenge. He eventually joined forces with deeply expressive Memphis-bred singer Tierinii Jackson, who’d gotten her start singing in church, before performing in a series of cover bands and theatrical projects. They were joined by her subtly powerful drummer sister Tikyra Jackson. the band were finally rounded out by versatile keyboardist Jeremy Powell, an early alumnus of Stax Records’ renowned music academy. 

‘Keep On’ Album Tracklisting:

Playing over 40 US dates coast to coast over the summer as well as shows in Europe, they return to the UK to play Dingwalls, Camden, London, United Kingdom on Wednesday 29th May 2019. 

Pete Sargeant