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Soul Purpose is made up of 11 extremely talented and seasoned professionals from the Philadelphia area. These musicians have worked, toured and recorded with some of the top names in entertainment. Including: The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Woody Herman, Smokey Robinson, Gamble and Huff...Just to name a few.
Joe
DiGuglielmo (JD Diggs) - Lead and Backing Vocals
Joe is a true student of Soul and
R&B. His vocal style is somewhere between Wilson Pickett and David Ruffin
with an awesome range and pinpoint harmonies. Joe, originally from the Philly
area, has lived in Florida, St. Louis, and California where he studied Music
Composition. Not only is he an accomplished singer and musician but, a fantastic
writer and arranger.
Charles
McCoy - Lead and Backing Vocals
A Philly native and no stranger to the R&B/Soul scene in the area, Charles has been compared to Smokey Robinson and Philip Bailey with his sweet falsetto and unbelievable range, Performing in the area for the past fifteen plus years, Charles has been with some of the areas top bands including "Youz Guys", "JukeBox" and "Incognito". Charles has also written and recorded some very catchy tunes. Some have received airplay in various markets.
Karen Baumeister - Lead and Backing Vocals
Karen is no stranger to performing. Before taking a short hiatus the past few years, Karen was performing with some of the top names in live Philadelphia music. A phenomenal voice with the ability to sing with the power of Aretha and the sweetness of Diana Ross, Karen rounds out the vocal trio fronting the band. Karen is also an accomplished artist. You can view some of her wonderful work on her web site: www.KarenBaumeister.com
Mark Amentt - Band
Leader / Bass Guitar, Upright Bass, Lead and Backing Vocals
A
multi-instrumentalist , Mark has performed with various local
"circuit" groups such as
"Captain Jack & The Loveseekers", "Philly Heat" and "The City Rhythm
Orchestra" along with studio sessions in and around the tri-state area. In
addition to club and recording session work, Mark doubles on Upright Bass and has performed and/or recorded
with Jazz greats Richie Cole, The Philadelphia Clef Club, The Jazz Lobsters
(NY), arranger Larry Kirchner and various National Acts coming through
town (The Skyliners, Joe Rathbone. to name a few). Mark also writes, arranges, and records background music for TV
and Film with numerous credits gathered over the past decade.
Joe
MacAnally - Keyboards
An Alumnus of Temple University's Music Program, Joe is a virtuoso keyboardist that captures every feel and sound to cover that wonderful "soul groove". Joe has performed with numerous local and regional acts while doing various national recording dates.
Dave Santana - Drums
Picture Coming Soon... Dave is no stranger to Soul / R&B and Jazz.. He is a well known percussionist from the Lebanon / Reading area and has played with more folks than we can list here. A solid time keeper and a consummate pro, Dave has been entertaining audiences for the last 20 years.. He has played the Berks Jazz fest and is the "first call" for the top national acts coming through town.
Greg Kettinger - Musical Director / Guitar
A
multi-instrumentalist with a degree in music. Greg spends his winter days
teaching music at Temple University. Along with numerous studio and live
performance credits, Greg has been sought after by numerous bands for his young,
yet vastly experienced talent. Greg is no stranger to "the circuit",
he has been performing in the New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania area since he
was 16. Most recently Greg has worked with "Captain Jack & The
Loveseekers" and "The City Rhythm Orchestra". Some of his other
studio and performance credits include; Woody Herman, Red Rodney and other
local, as well as national artists.
Bruce
Glantz - Percussion, Vocals
Bruce
has been a part of the Philadelphia Music scene for nearly 20 years as a
Drummer, Percussionist and a driving rhythmic force behind bands such as:
Windswept Dream, Hydra, and Hot Licks. Nobody is in the pocket with the drummer
more than Bruce. Nobody! His energy and
enthusiasm makes every performance an event.
Tony
Cinkutis - Trumpet
Tony
is truly a virtuoso. Splitting his time between New York, Atlantic City and Philly, Tony
has performed and/or recorded with some of the top Jazz, R&B and pop acts in the
business like Pat Martino, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson
just to name a few.
Brian
Pastor - Trombone
Among
the various credits attributed to Brian, his most notable is his current role as
the lead Trombonist with "The Philly Pops Orchestra". Brian has also
recorded and performed with Harold Melvin, Teddy Prendergrast, Phyllis Hyman,
MFSB, TSOP, The Three Degrees, The Ritchie Family, Deneice Williams, McFadden
and Whitehead and the SalSoul Orchestra.
Tom
Verdi - Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Flute, Vocals
Tom is, arguably, one of the best soloists on the circuit today. His stage presence and flamboyant soloing style make him one of the catalysts for the "event" like atmosphere that is projected at every appearance. Tom is a veteran player with seven years playing abroad. Three of those seven years were devoted to playing in Europe, doing gigs as well as session work.
Ren
Parker - Sound Engineer
Ren
is truly the "glue" that keeps the band sounding our best.
Ren has worked with everyone from Lou Rawls to Patti LaBelle. In
addition to being our Sound Engineer, Ren is an accomplished
multi-instrumentalist. Ren has a great ear for making us sound great
while being able to handle nearly any sound issue we are faced with.
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