By MOLLY MORGAN / DELTA DEMOCRAT TIMES

GREENVILLE, Miss., July 5, 2002 -- The Gamble Brothers Band may be only 1 1/2 years old, but keyboardist Al Gamble said the group is attracting people from everywhere.

The band will be perform Friday and Saturday night at One Block East in Greenville, featuring the eclectic sounds of its jazz-funk style.

"All four of my band members have been heavily influenced by New Orleans soul music of the 1960s and ''70s," Gamble said. "This has also influenced our song writing."

In spite of the group's name, only two of the four members are brothers.

"My brother Chad, who is on drums, and I have played music all of our lives but took different paths that led us back together," Gamble said. "The other people in the band were all side artists for people in the Memphis area, and we just met by doing different projects together."

The band is about to travel more due to a recent signing with a booking agency.. "We are now full-time musicians and have signed with a booking agency called Degy Booking International," Gamble said. "Our traveling will really start to intensify this fall."

Gamble said he is excited about playing in Greenville and hopes to draw a crowd.

"We attract a wide variety of people when we play, especially a lot of blues and jazz enthusiasts," Gamble said. "The bottom line is that we love playing music, and the crowd definitely picks up on that, whether they are familiar with our music or not."

The other members of the band are Will Lowrimore on bass, percussion and vocals, and Art Edmaiston on saxophone.

Cover charge at One Block East will be $5 each night.

Molly Morgan can be reached at 378-0717 or molmgn@yahoo.com