PLATTSBURGH — The genesis of the name Slavic Soul Party! was band leader Matt Moran’s machinations as he was trying to create a new music and a new band. “That combined both the wonderful improvisers ...

Melissa Weber can’t remember exactly how she discovered “Soul Train,” but on New Orleans TVs, the groove-filled music and dance show dedicated to R&B, soul, funk and Black empowerment aired at 11 a.m.

Led Zeppelin’s lead vocalist Robert Plant told the guys in Slavic Soul Party, “You guys are doing essentially what we did, checking out the musical culture from another place and tying it to your own ...