Ernesto J. Ponce is making huge strides in his quest for a modern soul approach. Ernesto’s soul sensibility is intrinsically unique, mesmerizingly fluid, and anything but the ordinary. Spirit Parade is a Baltimore-based neo-soul band consisting of singer Ernesto J. Ponce, bassist Ethan Montgomery, drummer Arejay James, keyboardist Garrett Neal, and trombonist Lionel Abbott. The band originally formed as a backing for Ernesto’s solo project, “The Dream is Gone” in 2014. After playing local radio (WTMD) and venues (The Metropolitan, Gallery 788, etc.) the band went into the studio to begin recording new material. It became evident the material was taking a more mercurial form and Spirit Parade was born. In pursuit of it’s own sound and style, SP has created a stunning collection of ten songs on their first full-length effort, “Worlds Apart”, which masterfully mixes their diverse influences, creating a sound that is both familiar and novel.