Artist description Original Rock band with male and female vocalists mixed withjazz improvisers.

Music Style rock/jazz

Musical Influences Dave Matthews

Similar Artists Dave Matthews

Artist History Seven SoulsSeven souls began in the Fall of 1998 at Penn State University, when two friends, Gena Zaiderman and Matthew Braden, decided to get together and jam. The two had previously met at Braden’s fraternity, where they discovered that they shared a common interest in music (as well as drinking wine). They had always said that they should get together and jam out, but time and circumstance had kept them apart. But in the Fall of 1998, Braden decided to cash in his “rain-check” and called Zaiderman. They got together through a mutual friend, Jeremy Joseph, who insisted that they get together at his house. Here they could have more privacy, with less of a chance of having any creativity stifled because of embarrassment or shyness. They played through a number that Braden had written called “Three Words”, and then through two tunes that Zaiderman had written called “Two by Two”, and “Comfortable Silences”. Joseph recorded all three on his computer and burned a CD that very night. In this original incarnation, Gena and Matt referred to themselves as Lovejones, and started to rehearse at Joseph’s or at Braden’s place, and began playing at local coffee shops and small get togethers. They wrote more songs together and eventually went into a real studio where with the help of the amazing Bill Filer, they layed down what would become the basis for Seven Souls. After convincing both sets of parents that this was a legitimate venture that could eventually go somewhere, Braden and Zaiderman, with the help of Joseph, went about recruiting the rest of the band. They had to look no further than Braden’s own family where they first acquired Mike Morrison, Braden’s cousin, to take over lead guitar duties. After much talk and a summer of jamming, Morrison decided to move to State College to join the band full time in the late fall of 1999. After some jam sessions where Joseph brought in Jazz players that he knew through Penn State, the bass player position was filled with bass extraordinaire Aaron Decker. Decker had instant chemistry with the other three, and put off a career in education to make the band his full time gig. Out of these jam sessions, the group also found undoubtedly one of the most musically talented people on the planet in saxophone phenom Michael Fortunato. Fortunato was still in school at this point, but agreed to continue playing with the group while he was finishing his degree. The next position to be filled was that of the drummer. While this may sound easy, it was anything but. So, to keep everyone happy, and to start getting face value in the local bar scene while searching for a drummer, the band began playing out under two names. Joseph, Decker, Fortunato and Zaiderman were playing weekly in a swing band called Lady G and the Swing Authority; while Braden , Morrison and Fortunato played weekly as a Dave Matthews cover band known as the Dancing Nancies. Under the guidance of business and management guru Jay Willard, both bands achieved good local followings, and gave the members experience that they would need. In the meantime, the search for the drummer finally came to an end when Morrison’s brother Chuck , who had already auditioned for and turned down the job, called and said that he had decided to move to State College and give the band a shot. So, in the Spring of 2000, the band was finally complete, and began to move forward. Unfortunately, by this time, Zaiderman and Fortunato had both committed to spending some time overseas, which delayed progress for a little while. However, with this came a blessing in the form of a phone call from one of Joseph’s and Braden’s old friends, Walt Shilanskas. Shilanskas had recently graduated with a degree in music from Indiana Universty, and after taking an a cappella group there to national recognition, was ready for a new challenge. Shilanskas decided to move to State College and take on the position as band director, in order to help the group reach its’ full potential. In the Fall of 2000, the band, minus Fortunato, who was studying in Paris, decided that it was time to take the stage. Joseph asked Brent Brodie, a friend who also happened to be an amazing saxophonist, , to play with the full band for the fall semester. Brodie, who had been filling in for Fortunato over the summer with Braden and Morrison’s acoustic group, graciously accepted and filled the role with amazing results. The band played weekly at the Café’ 210 West, and achieved a great local following. As the semester progressed, the band added Zaiderman into the mix with spectacular results, and knew that the birth of Seven Souls was now inevitable. The last link was finally filled when Fortunato returned to the fold in the winter of 2001. Fresh from his trip to Paris, Fortunato was amazed with the progress that the band had made in his absence. The demo was done, the marketing was in place, and the band was ready to go….. Seven Souls plays original music inspired by the fusion of all musical elements. The band describes itself as acoustic rock with a healthy dose of jazz, and a mix of all things musical. In the tradition of groups like the Dave Matthews Band, the band relies heavily on chemistry and improvisation to create an undeniable sound that has already won over much of State College. So if you’re looking for the next big thing, or just want to hear some great music, come check out Seven Souls, you won’t be disappointed

Group Members Seven SoulsMatthew BradenGena ZaidermanJeremy JosephMichael FortunatoMike MorrisonAaron DeckerWalt ShilanskasChuck Morrison

Instruments guitars, drums, bass, male/female vocals/all saxophones, flute, keyboard, trumpet

Location State College, Pennsylvania - USA

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