If you wanted to cook up a pot of Soul Music, what would you use?

How about a bassist, DeWayne Pate, who’s played with Robben Ford, Matt Schofield, Arturo Sandoval, and Chris Cain, among many others, and who currently holds down the bass chairs in the Tommy Igoe Groove Conspiracy and the Ray Charles Project.

Then you could add keyboardist David Kirk Mathews, currently featured in Santana, who was also a member of the legendary Rat Band in Berkeley, and who, for years, backed up the great Etta James and was a member of Tower of Power.

You’d need some soulful vocals, and you couldn’t get more soulful than Glenn Walters. Glenn was a founding member of the legendary HooDoo Rhythm Devils, went on to sing with the Zazu Pitts Memorial Orchestra, and is presently a member of The Ray Charles Project and Soulful Security.

Finally, you’d need a big back beat. Kevin Hayes, another former member of the Rat Band has had a career backing great artists like his sister Bonnie (in the Punts and Bonnie Hayes and the Wild Combo), jazz singer Jon Hendricks, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Roy Rogers, Matt Schofield, and spent 20 years as the drummer for the Robert Cray Band. He is currently a member of the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra, The Ray Charles Project, and Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings. What he does with his spare time is anybody’s guess.

There’s a tremendous amount of talent and experience in one group. They’ll be appearing July 12 at the Empress Lounge, doing R&B classics, some Ray Charles material, and some tunes from DeWayne’s new CD. When asked what to call the band, Kevin Hayes laughingly said, “How about W.M.P.H.”? It stands, not only for the first letters of their last names, but “What Makes People Happy” - MUSIC!