Royal Southern Brotherhood

Event information

The Soul of the South featuring Devon Allman, Mike Zito, and Cyril Neville

This lineup has talent to burn. You'll already know Cyril Neville: poet, philosopher, percussion master and perhaps the South's last great soul singer. Devon Allman. As the son of Gregg Allman, the 39-year-old has rock 'n' roll in his DNA, but he's always walked his own path. Mike Zito: the blues ace whose ear for melody provides the counterpoint to his wingman's rocking tendencies. Nominated in 2011 for the Blues Music Foundation's 'Best Blues Rock' award, and winner of 2010's Blues Music Award.

MIKE ZITO

2009 Blues Music award winner Mike Zito is one of those rare artist that can sing like nobody's business, can write songs that instantly grip you, play one hell of a mean Gulf Coast style guitar and has the stage presence to draw in any audience. Born and raised in St. Louis, MO he grew up listening to Van Halen and Led Zepplin and it wasn't until later he became interested in the great blues men who were from in and around St. Louis. On his 2011 Blue Music Award nominated CD (Best Blue Rock) Delta Groove release "Greyhound" he tells the rest of the story of how things could have been much different. He lived a rugged life much like many great musician endings while his beginning had not yet begun. Homeless, addiction, living the life of a criminal Zito had reached his rock bottom before cleaning up and ending up in Texas to live a sober life still today. It would be fair to say that is the time he draws from that creates all the emotion in his guitar style and singing. In 2009 Zito and Neville won the Blues Music award for "Song of the Year" for "Pearl River" the title track to Zito's 2009 release. Zito comes armed with raw tone and pure grit that he can turn on a dime into silky smooth guitar melodies but it is the aged depth to his vocal that make Mike Zito stand out amongst the other cats claiming to have "the stuff". Some lucky bastards are just born with it!!

DISCOGRAPHY:
Mike Zito: "Today" Electro Groove Records 2008
Mike Zito: "Pearl River" Electro Groove Records 2009
Mike Zito: "Greyhound" Electro Groove Records 2011

DEVON ALLMAN

Bringing lead guitars and vocals to ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD is Devon Allman. Born in Texas with a famous last name, but never leaning on it, Devon has toured the world for the last decade with his own group, Devon Allman's Honeytribe. He was also featured on a top 10 hit in Europe with guitar master Javier Vargas and has sat in with his father and the Allman Brothers dozens and dozens of times.
Allman is endorsed by Gibson, has his own signature "Devon Allman" amp with Fuchs Audio Technology and has played onstage alongside Les Paul, Billy Gibbons, John Popper among many others. He's a true old school gunslinger bringing fire and mood to the ROYAL tapestry. His guitar style evokes shades of past masters like Carlos Santana, Dickey Betts and Mick Taylor, while his voice is steeped in soul and blues... multi-dimensional and full of power.

DISCOGRAPHY:
Vargas Blues Band: "LOVE UNION PEACE" Dro / Warner Brothers 2005
Devon Allman's Honeytribe: "TORCH" Livewire Recordings / Rykodisc 2006
Vargas Blues Band: "FLAMENCO BLUES EXPERIENCE" Dro / Warner Brothers 2008
Devon Allman's Honeytribe: "SPACE AGE BLUES" Provogue Records 2010

CYRIL NEVILLE

Grammy Award winning New Orlean's Neville Brother Cyril Neville has been called a philosopher, poet, and one of the last great southern soul singers. In 1970 he released his debut solo single, "Gossip" b/w "Tell Me What's On Your Mind," which included backing music by brother Art's new outfit, the Meters. It just so happened at this time that the Meters were looking to expand their lineup, and asked Cyril to join in on vocals and percussion contributing to the classic Meter's albums such as 1972's Cabbage Alley and 1975's Fire on the Bayou. Later that year The Rollingstones invited the Meters to support the bands World Tour and Mick and Keith wouldn't have it any other way "you guys should come on tour with us with Cyril as your singer." is how it was put to the Meters who obliged.
Cyril has co-written songs with Bono of U2, Taj Mahal, Daniel Lanois, to name a few and was the one that Lanois credits as the musical catalyst that led to the Neville's Grammy Award winning record 'YELLOW MOON." Most recently he has fronted and sang for New Orleans Funk band Galactic, the Voice of the Wetlands All-stars, The Neville Brothers, and continues to do shows with his own group Tribe 13. His most resent television have been on 2011's episode of Jimmie Kimmel LIVE and HBO's hit series "Treme." Cyril is featured on recordings by Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Dr. John, Tab Benoit, Edie Brickell, Willie Nelson, plus many more. He has performed all over the world including the infamous Amnesty International tour with U2 and the Police and has sung for Nelson Mandela. There is no doubt that with in the first few vocal notes it is easy to tell that musical royalty runs deep in Cyril's blood and he remains a percussionist to be reckoned with.

DISCOGRAPHY:
1994 The Fire This Time (Endangered Species) The Uptown Allstars
1998 Soulo (Endangered Species) Cyril solo
2000 New Orleans Cookin' (Endangered Species) Cyril solo
2003 For The Funk Of It (Kongo Square) The Uptown Allstars
2007 The Healing Dance (Jomar/Silk) Tribe 13
2009 Brand New Blues (M.C.) Cyril solo
2010 The essetial Cyril Neville (MC) Cyril solo
w/ the Neville Brothers
1978: The Neville Brothers (Capitol)
1981: Fiyo on the Bayou (A&M)
1984: Live Nevillization (Black Top)
1987: Uptown (EMI)
1987: Nevillization 2 (Live At Tipitina's Volume 2) (Spindletop)
1989: Yellow Moon (A&M)
1990: Brother's Keeper (A&M)
1992: Family Groove (A&M)
1994: Live on Planet Earth (A&M)
1995: Mitakuye Oyasin Oyasin/All My Relations (A&M)
1997: The Carnival (Guest appearance, song "Mona Lisa")
1999: Valence Street (Columbia)
2004: Walkin' In The Shadow Of Life (Back Porch)