Soul'd Out

Sun Reporter

August 31, 2006

Hometown: College Park

Current members: Nick Hitchens, vocals; Jared Rosenbaum, keyboards; Tony Amoyal, guitar; Randy Coleman, bass guitar; Adam Soffrin, drums; Jason Budman, percussion; Mike Martin, baritone sax; Mario D'Ambrosio, tenor sax; Daniel Davis, trumpet; Erik Pearson, trumpet

Founded in: 2004

Style: funk and soul

Influenced by: Earth, Wind and Fire, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Curtis Mayfield, Sly and the Family Stone

Notable: Though he admits it's tough to coordinate a 10-person band -- some members are still in college -- Soffrin said they still manage to practice one night a week during the school year and more during the summer. Fitting nearly a dozen musicians on small club stages also gets tricky, but they manage. The band hopes to record some coming shows and release a debut album of live tracks, he said.

Quotable: "It's very in-the-pocket," Soffrin said. "We just find the groove that we like and we sit on it and we play. I think it comes across very well live. It's definitely a live-band experience with lots of energy; some in-your-face horns. And we try to add in some showmanship as well -- keep it entertaining to watch."

Information about the band: myspace.com/souldoutband

[Sam Sessa]

sam.sessa@baltsun.com