The Lee Boys Bring Sacred Steel Gospel Funk to Boone Saloon December 4

Story by David Brewer

Miami, Fla.-based sacred steel sextet The Lee Boys will bring their energetic blend of r&b, gospel, hip-hop, rock and country to Boone Saloon on Thursday, December 4. Photo by Ryan Hawthorne For people who don’t know the true meaning of the term, sacred steel sounds like some second rate gangster movie with too many guns and too little plot. However, for fans of The Lee Boys, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Aubrey Ghent and others, sacred steel represents the sanctified sounds of a unique style of gospel music that has been breaking out of churches and spreading joy to music fans across the United States and beyond.

On Thursday, December 4, The Lee Boys will bring their soul-stirring sound to Boone Saloon. The cover is $10.

Based in their home of Miami, Fla., The Lee Boys have been spreading the gospel of sacred steel to audiences in the United States and Canada since 2002, when the band began touring outside their home state. According to guitarist and bandleader Alvin Lee, the death of his brother Glenn provided the motivation to take the music to people outside their House of God church.

“When he died, that’s what really inspired me to take [our music] beyond the four walls [of the church],” said Lee. “We’ve just been blessed to be able to spread our music and do what we do.”

This family sextet transcends the boundaries set by musical genres. An energetic blend of r&b, gospel, hip-hop, rock and country driven by the pedal steel guitar, The Lee Boys win over audiences at jamband-heavy festivals such as Live Oak and Wannee, folks fests such as MerleFest and blues and jazz fests such as Chicago Blues Fest and the JVC Jazz Fest. They have jammed with such notables as the Mississippi Allstars, Bob Weir, Victor Wooten, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi and have opened for Los Lobos, The Black Crowes, Gov’t Mule and more.

While sacred steel music has only recently become more widely known throughout the country behind the efforts of Randolph, the African-American musical tradition was developed in House of God churches during the 1930s. While most churches employ an organ as the lead instrument, sacred steel churches instead use a steel guitar. The sacred steel guitar style has more in common with the bluesy leanings of lap steel than the weepy sounds of country and western, however. House of God churches that employ the style are located primarily in New York, Kentucky and Florida.

Lee, who has known Randolph for years, said the energetic performer and sacred steel juggernaut has opened a lot of doors for The Lee Boys and their current run of success.

“For us, Robert was the little kid on the side,” said Lee. “We didn’t know he was so good on the steel.”

The Lee Boys’ style may be comparable to Randolph’s Family Band, but the sextet is traveling a path all their own, winning new fans at every stop with their boundless energy and funk-and-soul-infused songs. This year alone, the band has performed at Bonnaroo, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Austin City Limits Fest, Summercamp, High Sierra, DefFest, Cornerstone Festival, Keystone Blues Fest, Philadelphia Folk Fest and the Voodoo Music Festival.

“We’ve been playing this style of music all our lives,” said Lee. “This music just can’t be denied. We just try to keep it real and stay close to the spirit of the lyrics.”

Logging more than 100 shows in 2008, The Lee Boys show no signs of slowing up. The band will make their national TV debut with a slot on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on Monday, December 8, followed by an appearance at the upcoming Warren Haynes Christmas Jam in Asheville. The band will return to the High Country on January 22 for a show at Legends with The Traveling McCourys, a band that features several members of the Del McCoury band. Next year will also see The Lee Boys will release a follow-up to the latest Arhoolie Records disc, Live at Telluride.

For Lee and his brothers and bandmates, each show is simply another opportunity to spread their positive message through the irresistible music they’ve been making since they were kids.

“We want to touch people through our music and if we can do that then our job is done,” said Lee.

To hear music by The Lee Boys, click to www.myspace.com/leeboys.