July 3, 2015
By Brian McCulloch
Gallery lighting, white walls, exposed concrete floors in an open and well lit room makes for an ideal space in which to exhibit art, or an unexpected music venue. The World Chess Hall of Fame transformed into the latter on June 24th when it played host to the musical act Good 4 the Soul. It was a memorable, soulful evening, which ended on a high note as the oversold crowd got on their feet to dance to the last song of the night.
The group performed their brand of funk, jazz, and R&B against the backdrop of paintings, dioramas, and sculptures by Marcel Dzama, whose exhibition Marcel Dzama: Mischief Makes a Move is presently housed on the first floor. The Music Series takes place on the fourth Wednesday of every month, and June’s Music Series marked the first time Good 4 the Soul performed at The World Chess Hall of Fame.
According to frontman John King, Good 4 the Soul was formed out of a creative necessity. “I played in a band called ‘Boom’ doing the whole weekend thing, the whole wedding band thing, and needed the outlet,” the bass playing King said. He reached out to his friends and fellow musicians back in 2005, and so began Good 4 the Soul. The makeup of the band has altered slightly over the years but is presently comprised of King on bass, Shawn Robinson on guitar, James Jackson on drums, and Darren Jackson on keys. The gentleman are staples in the Saint Louis music scene performing at places like Jazz at the Bistro and Jazz Saint Louis. They often perform with special guests like saxophonist Jim Stevens, or guitarist James Ross and have established themselves as one of the premiere musical acts in the area.
This year marks the group’s ten year anniversary. King laughed when asked what the future holds for his band. “We’ll continue making music together the best we can,” he said, “I guess at this point it’s time to go ahead and start doing some tracking.” He laughed again, “we’re long over do.”
The World Chess Hall of Fame’s Music Series continues July 22 with a performance by Tommy Halloran’s Guerilla Swing.