The Isley Brothers
Founded in the mid-1950s in Cincinnati, Ohio, The Isley Brothers originally brought together brothers O’Kelly, Rudolph and Ronald Isley around a gospel repertoire before moving into rhythm and blues and soul. Settled in New York by the late 1950s, the group drew attention with the track "Shout!" (1959), which blended preacher-like vocals, call-and-response and rock energy, and later explored doo-wop and twist styles on releases such as the album "Twist & Shout" (1962). After a stint at Motown in the mid-1960s — highlighted by "This Old Heart of Mine" (1966) — The Isley Brothers launched their own label, T-Neck, and expanded the lineup with Ernie and Marvin Isley and keyboardist Chris Jasper, which shifted their sound toward a mix of soul, funk, rock and slow ballads. The albums "3 + 3" (1973) and "The Heat Is On" (1975) cemented this turn, characterized by pronounced guitars, slow grooves and a vocal range alternating between falsetto and gruffer singing, while "Between the Sheets" (1983) fits a quieter, contemporary R&B aesthetic. Over time The Isley Brothers have spanned several generations of soul and funk, moving between vocal ensembles and a full electric band, and continued recording and touring beyond the 2000s, notably with the album "Eternal" released in 2001.
upcoming events 1
NN North Sea Jazz Festival - Vrijdag Dagkaart
- Fri, July 10
- Rotterdam Ahoy
- Sienna Spiro, Jalen Ngonda, Diana Krall, Bilal, The Isley Brothers, The Roots, Asaf Avidan, Jon Batiste, Robert Glasper, LA LOM, KOKOROKO, Snarky Puppy, Metropole Orkest, Esperanza Spalding, Cécile Mclorin Salvant, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Kenny Barron, Eric Harland, Vijay Iyer, Gallowstreet, Wadada Leo Smith, Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge, Yuri Honing, Steve Coleman