Two nights. One stage. Five classic legends of soul.
It’s called “The Brooklyn Soul Festival,” and on Aug. 28 and 29, it’ll turn the Bell House into a veritable Hall of Fame of a classic, but fading, music style.
“Our vision is to introduce people to music they might not have had a chance to hear otherwise,” said Richard Lewis who is organizing the two-day festival with Eli “Paperboy” Reed.
Headliners on the opening night include Barbara Lynn (best known for “You’ll Lose a Good Thing”), Roscoe Robinson (who played with Sam Cooke), and Hermon Hitson (who played with Jimi Hendrix and Wilson Pickett).
Closing night will feature Otis Clay (pictured, who had a hit with “Trying to Live My Life Without You”) and Maxine Brown (“Oh No Not My Baby” from 1964).
“We’re basically trying to save an American art form, and we have a brief opportunity to hear these artists in person,” Lewis added.
Lewis and another DJ have been putting on monthly soul music nights at Brooklyn clubs and concert venues. For this, though, the pair joined forces with Reed to put on the much bigger festival.
“We realized nobody was booking these artists,” Lewis said. “We figured, why not track down these artists and bring them into town.”
“Brooklyn Soul Festival” at The Bell House [149 Seventh St. bet. Second and Third Avenues, (718) 643-6510], Aug. 28 and 29. Tickets, $15.
