Slavic Soul Party!
Fiery Balkan brass, throbbing funk grooves, Gypsy accordion
wizardry, and virtuoso jazz chops: Slavic Soul Party! is New
York's official #1 brass band for BalkanSoul GypsyFunk. 10
people strong – male and female, black and white, Gypsy and
gadjo – SSP! makes new music out of the unplanned results of
immigration, proximity, and globalization by pumping a strong
Balkan brass sound through the filter of life in New York.
Trained at the New England Conservatory of Music, percussionist
and band leader Matt Moran sees Slavic Soul Party! as "heart and
feet" music as opposed to the "head" music of his jazz
background. When it comes to composing the songs, Moran aims not
to add extraneous sounds and rhythms, but to "take away until
you're left with the bare essence," then "just put in a little
cinnamon and hot pepper until you get just you're looking for,"
he said.
One of the hardest working bands in New York, SSP! plays nearly 100 times a year in the US, Europe, and beyond. They have performed at Babylon (Istanbul) with the Karandila Orkestar, at Irving Plaza (New York City) with Gogol Bordello, on the Warped Tour (US), and in virtually every major New York club.
