Album Notes

The Freedom Riders Band plays the southern soul music of the sixties, “unbleached and unblemished”. The Freedom Riders Band is a nine piece southern soul revue which defines the classic Miami Funk. The Freedom Riders Band represents the 60’s Soul Music with an emphasis on artists like Sam & Dave, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding as well as original songs within the southern soul tradition. This “R&B music ensemble” exists to give musical expression and honor to the creative wave of expression which came out of Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Stax Records in Memphis and Criteria Sound in Miami. This was an environment where musicians of all colors picked up instruments and created a music of hope, love and respect. In addition to the soul strutting lead vocals of Bradley Ditto, The Freedom Riders Band accompany both celebrity singers and new, emerging artists within the tradition. Who are the band members? An experienced and eclectic group. The lineup for the band reads like a who’s who of the masters of southern funk and soul: Art Wilson, Valve Trombone, Music Director. Bob North, Organ, Music Production. “Roach” Thompson, Guitar, Vocal. Reed (Man’s Son) Roberts, Bass. “Big Apple” Wayne, Drums. Les Blachut, Piano, Vibraphone, Steel-pans, Sound Design. Vaughn Tooley, Trumpet. Johnnie O. Riles Sr., Saxophone. Bradley Ditto, Lead Vocals.