Guitarist Anthony Paule (Durban, 1956) leads this great orchestra founded in 2007 and inspired by the soul and blues sounds of the 60s and 70s, accompanied by the voices of Terrie Odabi and Theo Huff. Tony Lufrano (organ, keyboards and backing vocals), Kevin Hayes (drums), Endre Tarczy (bass and backing vocals), Derek James (trombone), Charles McNeal (tenor saxophone) and Ethan Pires (trumpet) complete the line-up.

The band’s latest work is “Not in my lifetime” (2019), a set of songs deeply rooted in and inspired by blues and soul music, masterfully performed by the legendary vocalist Wee Willie Walker. It was a superb work, but at the same time bittersweet, due to Walker’s unexpected death three days after the end of the recordings.

Terrie Odabi, acclaimed for her great improvisational skills and gifted with formidable expressive tools and resources, has taken over from Walker as APSO’s lead singer. The Oakland performer was nominated in 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 at the Blues Music Awards in the category of ‘Best Female Soul Blues Artist. Rounding out the lead vocal tandem is Theo Huff; the Chicago native blends traditional and contemporary southern blues/soul and rhythm and blues with sensitivity, flamboyance and a command of the stage.