The Lee Boys Bring Sacred Steel Gospel Music to The Green Parrot
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The Lee Boys, Florida’s finest African-American Sacred Steel artists, will transform the Green Parrot into the Green Parish with shows at 5:30 and 10 p.m. on Friday, October 7; 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 8; and a 5:30 p.m. Soundcheck on Sunday, October 9.
The Lee Boys deliver powerful music with an exciting steel twist that funkifies the darkest soul and uplifts blind wanderers into the musical light. Dancing, shouting and fun are essential parts of the Lee Boys tradition.
This ain’t no “sitting and listening” music; this is pure spiritual musical joy. Check outtheir rousing performance on Conan O’Brien.
Featuring the pedal steel guitar as the lead instrument, theirs is the massive-toned, tear-it-up music of praise, faith and hope. The sacred steel style is rooted in gospel, but infused with rhythm and blues, funk, hip-hop, country, and world music in an irresistibly jamming mix.
The Lee Boys developed and perfected their style, talents, and skills at church. Six members are brothers and nephews, who began making music there when they were 7 or 8 years old. They haven’t stopped playing since.
Says Peter Katel of Newsweek: “For American music fans, it’s a find like a scientist’s discovery of a new species. The steel guitar is central to country music. But no one outside Southern Pentecostal House of God churches had heard of black gospel steel.”
Sacred Steel Gospel Music has crossed over into the mainstream thanks to the tumultuous energy and power of bands like the Lee Boys, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and Aubrey Ghent and Willie Eason.
Florida folklorist Robert Stone stumbled onto the haunting sound when a music-store owner told him about a steady stream of African-American customers buying steel-guitar supplies. Stone made the first ever compilation tape of five gospel steel masters playing at services and revivals. ‘Sacred Steel’ was an instant hit.”
The Green Parrot, your Southernmost Center for Blues Culture at the corner of Southard and Whitehead Streets. For more information call The Green Parrot at 305-294-6133.
