Supergroups are problematic in that egos and talent levels tend to cancel each other out, and musical combinations that sound good in theory often implode in the execution phase. The other musical construct that can be fraught with its own particular series of pitfalls is the musician-carrying-on-the-family-name scenario, where history and DNA can present almost insurmountable obstacles and unrealistic expectations.
Royal Southern Brotherhood would seem to be flying in the face of a boatload of potential negatives as their lineup reflects both the situations described above. Percussionist/vocalist Cyril Neville was long tenured in The Meters, the legendary New Orleans R&B/Funk unit, followed by his stint with the dynastic Neville Brothers. Guitarist/vocalist Devon Allman is the son of Allman Brothers’ frontman Gregg Allman and the leader of his own band, Honeytribe. Guitarist/vocalist Mike Zito has long been active in the St. Louis music scene as a solo artist; drummer Yonrico Scott was the heartbeat for the Derek Trucks Band and now leads his own band; and bassist Charlie Wooton has played with some of the giants of the New Orleans music scene, also forming and fronting two bands, Zydefunk and Zabadodat.
The seed of Royal Southern Brotherhood was planted when Zito and Neville collaborated on the title track to Zito’s 2009 album Pearl River; when the track won the Blues Music Award for Song of the Year, Reuben Williams, who managed the pair separately, suggested they pool their resources in a group setting. Zito suggested bringing in Allman — they had worked together at the St. Louis Guitar Center in the late ’90s — but Allman was initially skeptical, saying it would be like “putting five quarterbacks in a room and saying, ‘Go play football.’ ” Still, the addition of Scott and Wooton solidified the band and they went from conception to fruition in a matter of months, recording their eponymous 2012 debut album in just five days.
With an astonishing range of ages, experiences and stylistic expertise, Royal Southern Brotherhood lives up to its members’ family roots, their own diverse individual resumes and their incredibly appropriate band name.
ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD plays Southgate House Revival on Tuesday, May 27. Tickets/more info
here .
This article appears in May 21-27, 2014.