Alanson‘s Riverfest

Aug. 2, 2009

Soul Street Brings Motown to
Alanson’s Riverfest

By Kristi Kates 8/3/09

Chris Ames is a man on a musical mission. Along with his partners, Steve Rodriguez and Chuck Edwards, the three run Charlevoix-based Razor Entertainment, through which they book and publicize over 80 musicians throughout Ohio, New York and Illinois - and they still find time to play in Soul Street, a Motown tribute band.
“Soul Street was formed in 2004 to feature the greatest hits of the Motown era for concerts and festivals,” Ames says. “Chuck is the band leader, Steve is the musical director, and I am the business manager of our company; we all play in several other groups, as well.”

PRO EXPERIENCE
The credits listing for the members of Soul Street - including the three band founders - is staggering.
Ames himself is a drummer who’s worked with The Drifters, The Coasters, The Platters, The Marvellettes, Doc Severinsen (of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show band) and Christian singer-songwriter Amy Grant.
Rodriguez, who sings and plays saxophone, also performed with The Drifters and The Coasters, while Edwards (keyboards/vocals) has worked with both of those bands in addition to The Temptations, The Supremes, The Drifters, The Platters and The Marvellettes.
The additional bandmates they’ve selected for Soul Street aren’t exactly slackers, either. Bassist Andy Evans is a session player and recording artist who’s worked extensively in Nashville; guitarist Phil Tarczon is an L.A. session player who’s worked with Tom Scott and Russ Freeman; singer Dena Pruitt has also performed with The Supremes and The Marvelettes as well as a variety of Detroit R&B and blues artists; and the horns duo of Mike Hunter (trombone) and Dan Duncan (trumpet) are part of the Harry Goldson Big Band, and take their skills into the studio as well.
It’s no wonder that Soul Street’s Motown sound is one of the most genuine out there.
“The philosophy behind Soul Street has always been to recreate a Motown sound that’s true to the era and the performers,” Ames explains. “to that end, we only use the original charts and attempt to match our sound to that of the recordings.”

BUSY STREET
But for those who hear these skillful performers and might (rightfully so) think that Soul Street could be the catalyst for a return of the “real” old-school Motown sound in a big way - meaning new Motown songs, new Motown albums and a revitalization of the whole Motown scene - sorry, guys n’ gals. Just keep those dancing shoes on and appreciate what you’ve got.
“We record things primarily for PR purposes, as there is very little money in selling CDs today, after the production overhead is met,” Ames says. “we do, however, add to our live shows with audience interaction, keeping the tempos up for dancing and blending a funk-based rhythm section into the original sound.”
Five of the eight members of Soul Street are even busy when Soul Street isn’t on tour; they’re under contract as the back-up band for The Drifters, Coasters and Marvelettes when they tour in the Midwest.
“We are just coming off a week-long tour with the Drifters in Michigan,” Ames explains. “our players also work with the Temptations, Aretha Franklin and The Supremes when they tour.”

CLASSIC DETROIT
Ames and his bandmates hold to a solid philosophy of performing their Motown sound for those who really want to hear it - whether it’s in a place as spectacular as Detroit’s MGM Grand or Chicago’s Navy Pier, or somewhere a little more “of the people,” such as their shows at The Temple Theater in Saginaw, or their upcoming performance at Alanson’s Riverfest.
“Our motivation has always been twofold,” Ames declares. we love this music, and we enjoy nothing so much as performing it for people who also love the music. We like to think we are helping to keep the music of Motown alive by performing it in concert settings, as well as introducing younger generations to a musical genre they may not be familiar with.”
“As the lead singer of The Drifters often says, ‘we want to take you back to a time when you could understand every word we are singing,’” Ames chuckles, “but seriously - at a time when the economies of Michigan and Detroit are faltering, we find it important to focus on all the positives that grew out of this state.”
Those fortunate enough to catch Soul Street at their upcoming Alanson show - or any other performance - will be treated to, as Ames puts it, a full two hours of “Motown favorites.”
“The biggest hits for our audiences usually coincide with the biggest Motown hits in general,” he says, “‘Respect,’ ‘Soul Man,’ ‘Chain of Fools,’ ‘Heat Wave,’ ‘My Girl,’ ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered,’ ‘I Wish,’ and ‘Dancing in the Streets’”... which is exactly what the people at Alanson Riverfest will be doing once they hear this soulful band’s enthusiastic tribute-to-Motown sound.

Soul Street will be performing at Alanson’s Riverfest on August 8 from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; more info about Riverfest can be found online at www.villageofalanson.com/riverfest.php, and more info about Soul Street and Razor Entertainment can be found at www.razor4music.com.