Mighty Souls Brass Band's Lift Up! Album Is Out Today

Mighty Souls Brass Band's Lift Up! Album Is Out Today

Even though they've been playing at venues, events, and parties for years, Memphis' own Mighty Souls Brass Band is finally releasing their first album today. To celebrate, I'm giving away three copies of the CD. Read on to find out how to win. (giveaway ended)

MIghty Souls Brass Band

If you went to the I Love Memphis 5th Birthday Party back in August (many thanks to band leader Sean Murphy for working with me to make that happen) you got a chance to hear the Mighty Souls Brass Band in action.

If you haven't heard them, imagine a NOLA-influenced, jazzy, brassy sound coming from a free form group of musicians (anywhere from five to 14 folks) who have spent their lives playing in the blues, soul, funk, and R&B-drenched gigs and studios of Memphis. In other words, it's wonderful.

Mighty Souls Brass Band ILM Party
Part of the band at last August's birthday party at Wiseacre. They just marched right into the photo booth and kept on playing.

Murphy explains more in this quote from an article about the band by Eric Waggoner: “We’re not interested in just being a bunch of Memphis musicians playing New Orleans-style brass band music. We love that music, and we honor it. But we love Memphis music too, and world music, and we want to pay tribute to that history. And it’s a deep one.”

Another fun thing about Lift Up! is that it's the first album released on the new Blue Barrel Records. BBR is a non-profit label that plans to work with unique artists and release two albums a year. 

My favorite tracks so far are:

#2 "Lift Up Your Mighty Soul" is a happy, anthemic march.
#4 "Love Attack" makes me wanna dance.
#6 "Last Call of the Wild might be my favorite; it's frenetic and percussive and fun.
#8 "Saints" makes me wanna slow dance.
#9 "Squir-re-ly" is just how it sounds.
#12 "I'll Fly Away" is soulful Southern gospel meets NOLA brass band, just irresistible.

If you want to buy Lift Up! you can download it today on iTunes for $10.99 or pick it up at Shangri-La Records or Spin Street. It should be at Goner Records soon. Or if you want to take a chance, you can enter my two contests to win a copy of the CD. U.S. residents only.

How To Win (Contest Over)

1. Enter the Blog Contest.

I'm giving away two copies via this blog. To win one of those, leave me a comment on this post telling me why you want to win it. I'll pick the best two answers tomorrow (1/28) at noon. 

Congrats to Rebecca and Adam! It was hard to pick but I loved both of y'all's reasons for wanting the new album.

2. Enter the Instagram Contest.

Go to this Instagram post and leave me a comment. In the comment, tag a friend who you'll listen to the album with. If you don't tag someone, it doesn't count. Also, if you want to regram, you'll be entered again, but you have to tag me in the regram (I'm @ilovememphisblog). I'll pick a winner at random from the comments and regrams tomorrow (1/28) at noon.

Congrats to @ELM_Made for winning the random Instagram contest. 

Good luck! You can enter both if you want. This is kind of a test to see how well Instagram contests go. We might start doing more like that if there's good response and y'all like it. 

Comments Make Us Happy

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rebecca
My oldest daughter is in her first year of 6th grade band. After leaving the grizz game sat. We stopped by bayou so we could introduce her to a little memphis brass:) she hasn't stopped talking about it. What an amazingly talented group of guys. The next morning she was on you tube pulling them up, they have an 11 yo who is quite a fan now!!!!
January 27, 2015 11:55am
Nate
I need more SOUL and FUNK in my life!
January 27, 2015 11:57am
Holly Whitfield

Rebecca, that's awesome that that youngest Memphians are getting in on the music action! Thanks for your comment. 

January 27, 2015 12:02pm
Holly Whitfield

Nate - I feel ya! I was so happy to start listening to them. Thanks for the entry. 

January 27, 2015 12:02pm
Nick
WELL I need a copy so I can play it every time I enter my all-day meeting next week!
January 27, 2015 2:41pm
Aaron
I'll be heading out to one of our fine local record stores to pick up the vinyl - just wanted to say that I've see them play MLK Day events at Crosstown Arts to a Second Line on Poplar and they're great! You gotta catch Mighty Souls live if you are only now finding out about them. Cheers!
January 27, 2015 3:31pm
Dabney Ring
My husband loves them, and if I won the album I could give it to him for our upcoming anniversary. We promised not to buy anything, so this would work under those guidelines.
January 27, 2015 4:00pm
jeff
Because they're great and it reminds me of New Orleans
January 27, 2015 4:16pm
Colleen
As a new Memphian this cd will let me listen to some amazing music and become a true-blue Memphian.
January 27, 2015 10:52pm
Lacey
I actually just returned from NOLA today! And am feeling super inspired by all of the wonderful music I heard there. I was so excited to hear about some Memphis musicians making some of that wonderful, funky, fill-your-soul-up goodness right here in our awesome city -- and I love the fact that they still honor a Memphis sound with NOLA influences with a dash of world music thrown in, can't wait to hear this album!
January 28, 2015 3:30am
Melanie Montgomery
I'm from New Orleans, born and raised, and now I live in Memphis, and love it. My new home reminds me alot of my old home, and I'd love this album because it combines the best of both of my worlds.
January 28, 2015 11:31am
Keshia
I just returned from a visit to New Orleans and just can't get enough of that funky brass beat!
January 28, 2015 12:53pm
Adam
My first weekend after moving to Memphis, I went to Shangri-La's Purge Fest (after reading about it on this site!) and bought several jazz albums. As I listened to them while getting settled in a new city, the genre quickly became my personal soundtrack to Memphis. Hearing this style of jazz music still takes me back to the days of discovering Central BBQ, exploring Midtown, making new friends, having my first Ghost River Pale Ale, and becoming a member of the great city we call Memphis.
January 28, 2015 1:10pm
Mighty Souls B…
Hi everyone, Thanks for all the love and we hope you are all Lifted Up by the new album!  We're playing Friday evening for a non-smoking show at the Cove on Broad.  Come out and celebrate with us!  https://www.facebook.com/events/751858431594991 Sincerely, The Mighty Souls Brass Band
January 29, 2015 9:56am