With a top hat on his head, Marty Robson looks the part of a circus ring master – a general set to march his troops into shape.
He admits he can sometimes be single-minded, but it’s that focus that’s propelled Ten Souljers to its status as a sought-after dance band.
“If you want to be successful,” says Robson, “that’s what you have to do.”
Featuring three horn players, five vocalists and one of the best rhythm sections in Vancouver, Ten Souljers is a band with lots of soul.
Robson honed his musical and vocal skills with the U.K. cover band Rock the Monkey, but found it hard to give up the stage when he moved to Canada for love.
When he formed Ten Souljers in 2004, Robson made his ambitions clear to every musician and singer who signed up – he wanted the band to become the top events band in Canada and beyond.
Robson believes he’s achieved that with the band’s current line up, featuring himself, Karina Morrin and D’arcy Han on lead vocals; Scotty K. Jones on drums; Lee McDonough on guitar; Matt Reid on bass; Karlo Martin on keyboards; Jim ‘The Reverend Hopper’ Hopson on trombone; Anton Schamberger on tenor saxophone; and Malcolm Aiken on trumpet.
“I believe hand on heart that there is not a better band out there,” he says.
“When we are cooking and our rhythm section is tight and those girls are singing to their full potential, I’m telling you it does not get any better.”
Robson’s managed to keep the 10-piece ensemble together for the past six years, an achievement in itself and one that’s sewed together with a lot of hard-work.
Ten Souljers began as a soul and R&B outfit, similar to The Commitments. Robson soon pushed the band to expand its repertoire to land them more work.
“If you pigeon hole yourself to one genre of music, you are not going to work a lot,” says Robson, who runs his own company Vantastic Event Entertainment.
From contemporary hits by Flo-Rida, Pit Bull and the Black Eye Peas and rock anthems by AC/DC, Kiss and The Kings of Leons to old classic by Neil Diamond and Tina Turner, The Ten Souljers have no trouble get a roomful of people – of any age – on their feet.
Robson always has his ears tuned for the next big hit. He admits it took a little convincing to get jazz and rock musicians to try Top 40 fare.
He’s promised he’ll never make them sing any songs by Pink or Katy Perry.
“That’s just a step too far,” he says with a laugh.
Being a band leader is being a good manager, a good listener and at times an expert juggler. He can shrink the band down to a jazz trio, a background quartet, a six piece or nine piece.
“All musicians are passionate it’s just how you channel that,” he says.
With an infectious stage presence and loads of talent, the Ten Souljers have no trouble booking gigs. Their client list includes some of the biggest corporate names in B.C. and it’s ever-growing.
Robson however makes sure the band gives back.
For the past four years, the band has played at the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
In February, the Ten Souljers played a gig for B.C. Children’s Hospital where Robson was the key note speaker. His speech about his three-year-old daughter Kaija Mae’s life-saving intestinal surgery hushed the room.
Guests initially donated $1.1 million but when the call-out for cash went out, B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation pulled in a record breaking $2 million.
That’s exactly why Robson and the Ten Souljer’s play charity gigs. He likes paying it forward.
“If you donate your time or reduce your fee, it will come back to you,” he says.
The band is booked to play in China this September by someone who heard them play at a fundraiser for the Royal Inland Hospital.
“It’s good for the soul. It’s karma,” Robson says.
• Ten Souljers play a fundraiser for the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops on Saturday June 22.
