KISS co-founder & frontman, best-selling author and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Stanley has spent the last few years developing a project close to his heart. Soul Station is a band gathering some of today’s leading musicians to pay tribute to the greatest artists and songs from the R&B and soul catalog in addition to new original songs to keep this vital music current. While a surprise to many, Stanley’s early pivotal roots in this music has quietly turned this passion into a celebrated touring and recording band. Stanley’s 17-piece ensemble group has toured the U.S. and Japan, as well as spending recent time in the studio recording songs for a forthcoming yet-to-be announced project.
Until today, the group had yet to release a video and had primarily excelled in the live venue setting, playing smaller, intimate clubs – a setting where Paul Stanley would reflect on those classic hits that were his early inspiration, playing the songs with a reverence and respect for how he and the band believe they should be performed and heard. But with quarantine casting a long shadow over live music, Stanley and his Soul Station cohorts wanted to reach out to each other and everyone else in need of songs and messages that might calm and bring back those feelings we shared in the past.
“These are challenging times,” said Stanley. “Long before I ever heard the great British bands, I grew up listening to Philly Soul, Motown and so much more. I was lucky to see Otis Redding and Solomon Burke among others. That music and its storytelling gave me strength and hope even in some tough days. The great classics of that era are magical medicine for most and I felt myself drawn back to that era for some sorcery I think we could all use. While it’s hard to connect physically, some of Soul Station decided to reach out make a virtual and emotional connection on a great Motown and Smokey Robinson classic, Ooo Baby Baby.”
Stanley’s legendary band members will include: Rafael “Hoffa” Moreira (guitar & backing vocals), Sean Hurley (bass), Alex Alessandroni (Musical Director, keyboards), Ely Rise (keyboards), Eric Singer (drums & backing vocals), Ray Yslas (percussion), Gavyn Rhone (backing vocals), Crystal Starr (backing vocals) and Laurhan Beato (backing vocals) and Jon Pappenbrook (lead trumpet).
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