FROM THE PRESS
– The Vinyl Word, UK
“A great showman with a soulful voice and superb stage act.”
PHOTOS
Little Jake Mitchell Photo Credit Paul A. Carter III
The Soul Seachers Photo Credit Randy Batista
'Mr. Excitement' Little Jake Mitchell Photo credit Suzanna Mars
Little Jake & The Soul Searchers Photo Credit Suzanna Mars
Little Jake Mitchell Photo Credit Randy Batista
Little Jake & The Soul Searchers Photo Credit Megan Moran
'Mr. Excitment' Little Jake Mitchell Photo Credit Sam Marcus
Little Jake and Charlie Blade Photo Credit Teri Hill Bell Aguiar
Little Jake & The Soul Searchers Photo credit Megan Moran
The Silver-Sonic Horns: Charlie Blade, Doug "Skywalker" Meyers, and Brian "T-Bone" Stevens Photo Credit Randy Batista
AT A GLANCE
Based in Gainesville, FL USA
Founded in 2009
Genre: #R&B #American Soul
Label: Memphis Express Records
THE BAND
Little Jake Mitchell – Vocals
Tran Whitley – Keyboards
Charles Henry - Guitar
Levi Griffin Jr. - Bass
Lavelle Whitfield - Drums
Masa Enomoto - Drums
Rob Rothschild - Drums
Charlie Blade - Saxophones
Doug Meyers - Trumpet
Lanard Perry - Trumpet
Brian Stevens - Trombone
BIOGRAPHY
Little Jake Mitchell is an authentic blues child prodigy and R&B singer who works as hard today as he did in his appearances at the Apollo Theater; as hard as he did on tour as "Mr. Excitement" with R&B immortals James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, and Bobby Blue Bland, or at the Pensacola Blues Festival, when B. B. King encouraged him to stay in show business.
Little Jake & The Soul Searchers—that's what you get when you combine Jake with The Silver-Sonic Horns and a powerful rhythm section. The band recalls authentic R&B stagecraft in support of a classic repertoire of soulful songs. Depending on the venue, Jake and the band treat audiences to sights and sounds seldom seen or heard since the golden age of R&B: opening singers, Tran “The Piano Man” Whitley and drummer, Hal "Halag8r" Saylor; a dynamic, audience-walking lead singer; a strolling horn section; a full-time emcee/announcer, Kenny "The Conductor" Eunice; and one of the funkiest rhythm sections around. The band's roots are deep, featuring sidemen who worked with Ike and Tina Turner, Billy Joe Royal, Ernie K Doe, Hues Corporation, and other R&B and rock pioneers.
The Silver-Sonic Horns, originally organized as The Blacklash Horns by Charlie Blade, trace their heritage back to 1969 when initially formed as the horn section for one of Florida's R&B pioneer band, Weston Prim & Blacklash: Blade on saxes, and long-time collaborator Brian 'T-Bone' Stevens on trombone. They are joined by Doug 'Skywalker' Meyers on trumpet. Classic R&B section-horn energy, funky improvisation by the whole horn section, a great appearance, and a topnotch sound system make The Silver-Sonic Horns an integral part of the Jake Mitchell experience.
The rhythm section features keyboardist and vocalist, Tran Whitley, holding forth on the real deal—a vintage Hammond B3 organ that anchors the band. Tran is joined by seasoned guitarist / backup vocalist, Charles Henry, who can play it funky, and does. On Fender bass, with years of experience beginning with Billy Joe Royal's road band, Allen McCollum keeps the bass line bumping and jumping. Providing energetic pulse and punctuation, and featured as an opening vocalist in every show: Hal Saylor on drums.
Little Jake Mitchell is one of Florida's great native-son ambassadors in rhythm and blues music. Little Jake & The Soul Searchers deliver authentic style and classic repertoire at every performance.