I am going to go way out on a limb and declare that there could not possibly be another performing band in the United States like the Philly SoulSations, whose members range in age from 16 to 75. 

Perhaps even more unexpected is the origin of this unique musical ensemble. The band’s leader, Hayden Bank, assembled the group about a year ago. He’s the 16-year-old in the band.

“Hayden is like a walking encyclopedia of 1970s soul music,” said the group’s guitarist Barry Greenspan, 62. “On multiple occasions he has made us laugh out loud by riffing long-forgotten lyrics or melodies created decades before his birth.”

On Sunday, Hayden, Greenspan and their fellow SoulSations will bring their brand of R&B to the Venetian Club in Chestnut Hill for a 3 p..m. concert. Get ready for a sprinkling of Motown, a dash of The Sound of Philadelphia and some original tunes written by Hayden and bandmate Ken Ridgeway. 

It was the songwriting collaboration that led to the formation of the band, explained Hayden, a rising junior at Springfield Township High School. “I met my writing partner, Ken Ridgeway, through my father, who met him back in 1986 when Ken was working at my dad’s overnight camp that he attended.

“Ken and I started writing songs together, and he introduced me to his good friend, Barry Greenspan. I met Omar Welch when we played a gig together last summer at Media Unity Day. And I met Noble Watson and Jeff Smith through a website for musicians. We all came together and started rehearsing,” Hayden said. 

Greenspan, 62, lives in Chester Springs. Bass player Omar Welch, 59, lives in Boothwyn. Drummer Noble Watson, 75, lives in Southwest Philadelphia. Keyboard player Jeff Smith, 37, lives in West Philadelphia, and singer Ridgeway, 71, lives in Pottstown.

Hayden, who says he lives “in the panhandle of Springfield Township” with a Chestnut Hill zip code, has been singing since he was a small child. “It’s always been in me,” Hayden said. He also plays the guitar, drums and piano. “My great-grandmother was a concert pianist,” he said, “and everyone in my immediate family can play the piano.”

Hayden's own most significant musical inspirations are Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass and David Ruffin. Although he does plan to go to college, his career ambition is to be a full-time musician. “I just want to make people happy with my music,” he said, “and love playing with my group, The Philly SoulSations and being up on stage.”

Writing partner Ridgeway described the group as Hayden’s “dream come true. It is a pure pleasure to work with him, guide him where necessary and stand by his side as this dream comes to fruition.” 

Hayden is quick to return the compliment. “Ken has brought me into all of this by giving me the first opportunity to really write music,” he said, “which has brought a lot of attention from others. He is the one who is always there at every show, every rehearsal, showing me the way to run a show and a musical group.”

The band’s soul repertoire of Motown and R&B/Soul hits from the 1960s and '70s, also highlights “The Sound Of Philadelphia,” a genre characterized by “funk” influences and lush string and horn arrangements with a strong jazz influence in its melodic structure.

Fred Wesley, trombonist with the popular band Parliament-Funkadelic, described this sound as "putting the bow tie on funk." 

Hayden's grandfather, Richard Bank, former president of the Philadelphia Writers Conference and a former professor at Rosemont College, is very proud of his musical grandson. “When I observe the Philly SoulSations,” he told us, “as I have at several rehearsals, I see the same sparks in their eyes and the same smiles spreading out on their faces that I see Hayden and his partner, Ken Ridgeway, display when they compose a new song. 

“What strikes me is how this group of musicians spanning seven decades of various ages, diverse ethnicities, races and religions, not to say cultures and even nationalities, come together to make music. Taking another look at their glowing eyes and bobbing heads moving through the songs, it becomes clear that they are united by a shared passion for music far surpassing any differences they have.”

For more information, visit venetian.club or facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553556641117 or call 215-247-9858. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com