The 6 piece jazz, funk and soul group ‘Matador Soul Sounds’ took to the Field of Heaven stage Saturday afternoon here at Fuji rock Fest for a soul-stirring performance. Even the persistent rain couldn’t dampen the crowds spirits, as we were treated to a spirited set from 6 masterful musicians.

The group was originally formed from the vision of Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds) and Alan Evans (Soulive) and features a selection of hand-picked artists each with their own unique background and skill set.

Yesterday, those skills were definitely put on show as the 6-piece slid between high energy funk tracks and velvety smooth soul songs. A large part of that smoothness came from the silky vocals of Adryon de León and Kimberly Dawson. Adryon was born and raised in the small town of Ojai, California and was surrounded by music from an early age singing in a Baptist congregation. This soulful start combined with a later interest in musical theatre has resulted in a sound that can only be described as dramatic yet compassionate. Combined with the powerful singing of Dawson, the two makeup the unforgettable voice of the group.

Backing the vocals is an all star cast of instrumentalists. Alan Evans rhythmic repertoire was on full display yesterday as the drums ranged from snappy funk to floating soulful polyrhythms. Eddie Roberts’ guitar playing was bluesy and chugging with just the right amount of grit and distortion. Keyboardist Chris Spies kept the soulful stabs light and floaty while bassist Kevin Scott glued everything together down low.

Yesterday was as simple as that, 6 masters of their craft jamming out and having a good time. Their energy and soulful spirit was infectious throughout the entire set and kept the crowd smiling and warm despite the downpour.