Digital Images of Royal Southern Brotherhood by Kurt Swanson andSoulful Impressions
E MAIL: kurtswanson@juno.com

Royal Southern Brotherhood is an American Blues and Blues Rock supergroup consisting of Grammy Award winning singer and percussionist Cyril Neville (The Meters, The Neville Brothers, Galactic, etc.), vocalist and guitarist Devon Allman (Honeytribe), Blues Music Award winning vocalist and guitarist Mike Zito, Grammy award winning drummer Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band), and bassist Charlie Wooton. The band released their debut album on May 8, 2012

Royal Southern Brotherhood came together in New Orleans, Louisiana during the summer of 2011. Reuben Williams, manager to both Neville and Zito, had the idea for the band.[1] The two had collaborated on Pearl River, the title track for Zito's 2009 album, and it would go on to win the Blues Music Award “Song of the Year”.[2]

Zito suggested Devon Allman, who was skeptical of the supergroup idea at first. According to Allman when his manager broached the subject he replied "Dude are you crazy? Thats like putting five quarterbacks in a room and saying 'go play football'. What the Hell are you talking about?"[3] However, Allman thought it over and decided he liked the concept. Allman and Zito were old aquaintances, having been friendly musical rivals in the St. Louis, Missouri music scene and had worked together managing a Guitar Center store in 1999.[1]

According to Allman, “we went from talking about the idea, to me and Cyril writing a tune over email, to being in rehearsals, all in two months.” With the union of the three noted front men, the group next added bassist Wooten and drummer Scott to form the rhythm section. One unique aspect of the band is the wide difference in ages. At 37, Allman is the youngest while 63-year old Cyril Neville is the eldest. Said Allman of the group:"It's like it was meant to be. We're not really reinventing the wheel here. We're just making sure it keeps rolling. I think certain fans out there really have an affinity for music based in soul and blues and rock, classic rock, so you really get that with this band."[3] The group made its stage debut in September 2011 at the Rock ’n’ Bowl in New Orleans.[4][1]

In December 2011, the band recorded songs for their debut album over five days at Dockside Studio, a 12 acre estate on the banks of Vermilion Bayou, in Maurice, Louisiana.[4][5] In the spring of 2012, they gathered to rehearse for their tour, at Don Odell’s Legends Studio in Palmer, Massachusetts. While in Palmer, they also taped a segment for the "Legends" TV program distributed through public-access cable stations.[1] As of September, 2012 the band had made extensive tour stops across the United States and in fourteen foreign countries.

Website: http://www.royalsouthernbrotherhood.com/