Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following was published in the Floyd Press on 7/3/08

“Not bad for someone with a bad ankle,” I said to my friend Ed, referring to the fact that I had danced for two hours to Laura Reed and Deep Pocket, in spite of a recent injury.

The Asheville-based band played to an enthusiastic crowd Friday night at the Winter Sun Hall. Concert goers filled the dance floor, spilling over onto the new porch deck to socialize and cool down.

I first heard Deep Pocket last summer at the Dome Fest Concert, held at a farm in Copper Hill. Impressed with the soulful outpouring of Reed’s vocal performance, I dubbed her the Janis Joplin of Reggae. She’s also been compared to Billie Holiday, Erykah Badu, and Aretha Franklin.

Reed, who plays harmonica and rhythm guitar, was born in South Africa and grew up in North Carolina. Although her original music has a reggae flavor, it fuses a variety of styles with the overarching theme being Soul. Her webpage bio reads: Laura Reed is a nomadic soul, finding herself trans-planted trans-Atlantic from South Africa to the American South. She carried with her the quintessential African harmonies and musical colorings that she gathered as a child in Johannesburg and Natal. Growing up in North Carolina (Chatham County to be exact), she cultivated a deep appreciation for the American Blues, Jazz, Soul, and R&B that was circulating around her. She fused these stylings with her earliest musical memories, epiphanies, stories, and confessions.

With song titles that include Rise Up, Praise You, and One World, the band’s music not only inspires infectious dancing, it’s uplifting to listen to as well.

In the middle of the set, after a particularly rousing song, Reed took the turban-wrapped scarf off her head and unleashed her waist-length blond dreaded locks. “I really had to let down my hair for that one,” she said.

According the band’s webpage, other band members are Ben Didelot on bass, Jimbonk Buchanon on drums, Ryan Burns on organ, and Debrissa McKinney, who does back-up vocals. Emily Brass of Floyd’s Emily Brass Band opened for the band on Friday. Brass (far right) also jammed with Deep Pocket for a couple of numbers, playing her saxophone. ~ Colleen Redman

Post Notes: You can hear the music of Laura Reed and Deep Pocket and find information on their new CD “Soul: Music” at their website HERE. The band is scheduled to play at FloydFest,Thursday July 24th at 10:30 on the Hill Holler Stage. A short video clip on Deep Pocket on the Winter Sun stage can be found HERE. Another one taken while Emily was on stage is HERE.