Picture of the Week: Bailey Spiritual Sounds Shout Band of Durham

Last week I was in downtown Cary for the “Celebrate the Street” event commemorating the groundbreaking of the Academy Street improvement project.  One of the bands performing at the event was the Bailey Spiritual Sounds Shout Band. They are a church based brass band that performs at services held at the United House of Prayer in Durham on Holloway Street. The band takes its name from Bishop C.M. Bailey, the current leader of the church.

Of course I am biased because I play the trombone, but this band blew my mind! The band plays mostly contemporary gospel tunes that they learn by ear and jazz up on the fly. They perform them as a group with two to three members improvising solos while the rest of the group accompanies them playing pre-arranged rhythms and  grooves. Each performance is unique because there is so much improvising going on and they are creating their sound on the spur of the moment. It’s difficult to find many details online about when the band holds public performances but I do hope to catch them again soon. They really were incredible!