The Village Voice has called The Soul Rebels “the missing link between Louis Armstrong and Public Enemy.” As OffBeat writer Roger Hahn noted in response, “marching bands” is probably more apt than “Armstrong,” but whatever the case, it’s clear that this fresh, brass/funk/hip hop group has a knack for fusing seemingly disparate elements.

“The initial point of Soul Rebels,” explained co-founder and snare drummer Lumar Leblanc back in 2011, “was to put a mainstream spin on brass band music, incorporate hip-hop, original R&B, all the elements, to make an urban contemporary sound.”

They’ve done just that. What’s more, as they’re proving with their ongoing summer tour, they’re providing yet another missing link: one between New Orleans musicians and European youngsters.

Derrick Moss, Leblanc, and their rest of the krewe have been traveling Europe with iconic funkateers Kool & the Gang, playing concerts by night and teaching clinics to kids by day.

Although the Soul Rebels have been making waves with their innovative brass music for over two decades now, their breakthrough record release deal with Rounder Records in 2011 gave them a new level of street cred to take their act on the road more and more often, and further afield.

Just this past Wednesday, they played the Molde International Jazz Fest in Norway, bringing a school orchestral group called Jazzlogen up to the stage for their hit “Turn It Up.” They’d taught the tune to the students in a masterclass shortly before the show.

Luckily for all of us here in New Orleans, the blazing performance was caught on tape. Check out the awesome video below!