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Tavis: I'm pleased to welcome the members of Soulive to this program. The talented trio is known for their distinctive blend of soul, jazz and hip hop. Their most recent CD, 'Breakout,' has received terrific reviews, and includes collaborations with folk like Chaka Khan and Ivan Neville. From the new CD, here is Soulive performing 'Reverb.'

(FILM CLIP)

Tavis: Alan, Neal, Eric, how's everybody living?

Alan: (laugh) Good.

Tavis: Nice to see you again. Every time I talk to you guys, I always struggle with trying to describe what Soulive is. It is such a funky mix of all of that, and then some. It's hard to describe. So have you guys gotten adept at describing what Soulive is?

Eric: Honestly, that's how the name came about. Because I felt like the name kind of represented it. It's really elements of hip hop, funk, rock, jazz. We listen to all different types of music, as long as it's got soulful elements to it. And we try to blend it all. And I think in the last few years, we've brought more and more influence. So it's like the more we play with each other, the more different things we've listened to or been inspired by come out in the music.

Tavis: I've heard folk try blend stuff, though, that didn't work. (laugh) So, how do you know when you try to mix all that together?

Alan: Well, we just do it in rehearsal before we go on stage. (laugh)

Tavis: Yeah, try to work it out first.

Alan: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Tavis: Where did the idea for the group come from?

Alan: All right, well...

Tavis: Oh, the brothers are looking at each other.

Alan: Yeah, all right. (laugh)

Tavis: Eric said, you all got to tell this story.

Alan: Yeah. Originally, I was actually out here on the west coast, San Diego, and doing some things with some other musicians. And it was just, Neal was in school back in Manhattan, and we were in bands previously together. And it was just, I don't know, I just felt like it was time that we needed to get back together and do something. So actually, originally, the idea was to - I had been listening to a lot of Grant Green, George Benson, the soul jazz thing.

And I hadn't really heard anyone doing it in our age group. So I just thought that would be a good starting point. And then obviously from there, we've branched off and taken it to other places. But that was the original idea.

Tavis: Did I read somewhere that you almost missed the opportunity to be part of the group, going to a basketball game somewhere?

Eric: Yeah, actually, I was just reminded of that story. Well, what it was, they were playing in Boston. That's where I was at the time, going to school. And yeah, I was supposed to go to a basketball game, and I can't remember what happened with my tickets or something. And I ended up hearing that these guys were playing with their new formation.

'Cause I had seen them in other groups, and we had known each other through the circles of musicians or whatever. And I showed up there and had my guitar with me. I don't remember why, I was probably coming from a class or something, and had my guitar with me. Ended up sitting in with them and we were vibing.

I remember Neal looking over at me like, yeah, man, yeah. I was, like, cool. And then couple of days later, Alan called me up and was like, hey, man, we should get together and play. At the time, they were playing with a guy who played vibraphone. And he was kind of busy doing other gigs and stuff.

Tavis: Are there young cats who still play vibraphone?

Neal: Oh, yeah. He was bad, too, but it just kind of worked out. One thing we realized is that it wasn't the best instrument to be on stage with an organ and drums, playing in rock clubs.

Tavis: It got drowned out?

Neal: Yeah, it got really drowned. So when Kras came on stage, just the fact that you could hear him was already, like, man, (unintelligible). Just kind of took over.

Tavis: Neal, what's your sense of what allows Soulive and the sound you guys create to resonate with a young audience? And I raise that, because you guys blend some of everything, but it ain't necessarily what's being played on radio these days, and yet it works and you guys are all the rage in this generation?

Neal: Well, one thing is we're truthful to what we do. We do combine elements of current music that we listen to, whether it's R&B, soul music, hip hop, or rock. It's not like we're just trying to draw back on something that is totally really not our own from our, something that's not from our time. We grew up listening to it, that's our, and we own that music.

But we also are a part of what's going on now. And I think that's why the kids can really identify with it. 'Cause even though we're using instruments that are from - I play an organ that's from 1957.

Tavis: The B3, yeah.

Neal: But the sound I'm kind of producing out of it is, like, sampled from Pete Rock or from stuff, music that's going on today. That's why I really think they can identify with it.

Tavis: Here's that obligatory question that you knew was coming, Alan. What's wrong, since you guys have a take on it from a live perspective, what's wrong with music today?

Alan: I don't think, there's nothing wrong with music as long as people are creating music. And that's a great thing. That would be the wrong thing, if there was no music out there at all. I think one problem that we're having right now is that we're in a very narrow time frame now, in terms of the output of music that's coming out of the industry.

Tavis: When you say narrow, you mean what?

Alan: Well, it goes in phases. And right now, it's narrow. Like, there would be one hit or one particular sound that's happening. And then more people come out with it, and then that's where we are right now. But luckily, I've noticed throughout even my short time in playing music that every once in a while, people get tired of that one thing.

That one beat, that one groove that whatever, and it starts to open up more and more music, other forms of - or other people's ideas of music comes in and is available to people. And then it narrows again.

Tavis: Tavis: Do you guys ever feel the pressure, and this may be a stupid question, and it wouldn't be the first time I've asked one, but I'll tell you why I'm asking in a second. Do you ever feel the pressure to do stuff that is commercially viable? And I ask that because obviously, you got a record deal. You're on a record label.

You gotta be commercially viable on the one hand. On the other hand, unlike a lot of other groups out there today, when I hear you guys, I get the sense that you guys are doing what you want to do. You're creating a sound that you want to create. And that whether it's commercially viable or not, this is what we love doing.

This is what we do, and we like the sound we've created here. I'm trying to figure out how you balance doing what you wanna do with the pressure to do stuff that's commercially viable. Does that make sense?

Eric: Yeah, it makes sense. For me, you just gotta hope that other people like what you like, you know what I mean? Because for me it's like, there is certain pop music that I love. The thing about - the thing that kind of depresses me about the time now is that 20 or 30 years ago, you had artists that were, like, the biggest pop artists, to me were so much more musical. You had Stevie Wonder playing all the instruments on his record.

You had, like, Donnie Hathaway. And those people were on the radio. Nowadays, you find artists like that, but usually, they're not in the forefront. And that's one of the kind of missions that we are on, is to try to let people know there still are artists, there still are musicians making music. And some of them are well known, some of them.

But a lot of the biggest artists aren't necessarily, to me, on that same music level, same genius level of the artists that we've had in the past. And they still exist, though. They just need to be promoted and shown to the people.

Tavis: Alan?

Alan: I just feel that, like Eric was talking about, in previous decades there was a level of competition, friendly competition, that I just don't feel is present in at least the pop world. It seems that people are just kind of content with what they're doing, and not really trying to push too many envelopes in terms of writing or just expressing their ideas.

There's, like, one story I always try to tell people is, in one particular Grammy year, Paul Simon award for best album of the year. And he came up on stage and said...

Tavis: That was the "Graceland" album?

Alan: Oh, no, no, this is before.

Tavis: (unintelligible) okay.

Alan: Yeah, yeah, before then. And he said, well, I'd like to first thank Stevie Wonder for not putting out an album this year. (laugh) And just things like that. You think of people on that level, that writing script, and that was pop music. That was on the radio. And all we're trying to do is bring that kind of friendly competition back to the...

Tavis: So by my count, Neal, Steve Wonder, make that Stephen Morris' name has been audible twice now in this conversation. So speaking of Stevie, what's it like when you're a fledgling band and trying to make your own mark, and Stevie Wonder shows up to hear you and comes up out of the audience and sits in with you?

Neal: That was the, yeah.

Eric: It was surreal. (laugh) It was very surreal.

Neal: Yeah it was, it was incredible, 'cause there were moments where, there was a moment where it kind of broke down. I think it was probably one of the best moments, 'cause I think that entire time, we were all really watching him, and we weren't paying attention to what we were doing.

Tavis: Stevie (unintelligible) like, come on, ya'll, play. What's up, yeah? (laugh) (alltalkingatonce)

Neal: (unintelligible) breakdown, I was like, okay.

Tavis: Can I get some help over here? Yeah.

Neal: 'Cause I was about to lose it. 'Cause you're really looking at this person, and music flows through him. He's moved by music. And you physically see it on stage when he's singing and when he's playing. And it was beautiful. It was incredible.

Tavis: Man, not just Stevie, though. You got Chaka Khan coming up out the audience to perform with you. How'd that happen? And on the record, no less.

Eric: Yup. A friend of ours, Ira, brought her to the show at the Knitting Factory here in L.A. And she was there, and we saw her. She was getting into it. And during the set break, she came back and she was like, I gotta to sing with you guys. And we were all just, like, whenever you say. Say the word. So she got up and got down with us, and it was really cool.

The then next day, I get a phone call saying, oh, she wants you to come by the house and play some music. And we were there in a second. And it came about from there, and we're gonna do some more writing and some more recording with her as well, so.

Tavis: So how far can you push this thing, Alan? Speaking of competition and pushing the envelope, how far can Soulive push this thing?

Alan: I don't know, till no one wants to listen to us anymore. (laugh) And we'll probably keep doing it then, I don't know. This is what we love to do. And I just can't - if it stopped today, I don't wanna say I'd be happy, but I know we've accomplished something. We're here, sitting talking with you. Never in my wildest dreams. I've been watching you for a long time. So it's great to know that people are recognizing what we're doing.

Tavis: Well, we're not just recognizing it, we are appreciating and embracing what it is that they are doing. The group is called Soulive. If you haven't checked out their sound, I know you will after this conversation. Alan, Neal, Eric, nice to have you here. Congratulations, and have a great year.

Neal: Thank you, Tavis.

Tavis: You're welcome back here any time. Now that you've arrived, you can come see me anytime.

Neal: All right. (laugh)

Tavis: That's our show for tonight. You catch me on the weekends on PRI, Public Radio International. Check your local listings. See you back here next time on PBS. Until then, good night from L.A. Thanks for watching, and as always, keep the faith.

(FILM CLIP)