Good live music can move the body.

A driving beat, an infectious bass line and a bit of melody are usually all that it takes to get an audience out of their seats and onto the dance floor.

Great music, however, sparks more than a physical reaction. Great music moves the soul.

For Chazz Smith, founder and co-lead vocalist for tribute band Kalimba, the music of Earth, Wind & Fire provides that spark.

Beginning Jan. 12 and running every other Thursday, that spark ignites at the Muckleshoot Casino’s Club Galaxy courtesy of Kalimba.

For more than 40 years Earth, Wind & Fire has made great music, notching album sales of more than 90 million while charting seven top-10 albums and seven top-10 singles. The band has been honored with seven Grammy awards for its music and is renown for its electrifying stage presence.

For Smith, it was that first taste of the band live in the late 1970s, that started him on his path.

“The first concert I went to was Earth, Wind & Fire,” he said.

From that moment Smith, originally from Oakland, said he toyed with the idea of forming an Earth, Wind & Fire tribute.

“There is just no other band better to do a tribute to,” he said. “It’s the music. It’s the message. It’s the spirit of the whole thing. It reaches all ages, all genres of folk.”

While on the road performing with bands such as Tony! Toni! Toné! and Kool and the Gang, Smith formulated his plan, charting out the songs of Earth, Wind & Fire, preparing for the time when he could bring them to life on stage.

A couple of years ago, after moving to the Pacific Northwest, the notion became reality for Smith.

“I just finally got the right folks lined up,” Smith said.

Featuring co-lead vocalist D’Maurice, drummer Jeff Haile, keyboardist Micheal Miller, guitarist Gary Tobin, bassist Derek James, trombonist John Groves, trumpeter Ray Baldwin and saxophonist Chris Siegmund, Kalimba played their first show this summer at the Taste of Tacoma.

“We got a wonderful reaction,” Smith said. “The mood is different when you come and see us. The crowd is even different. It’s all ages, all nationalities, and everybody is dancing.”

Tobin, who also handles much of the business end of the band, agreed.

“I think a lot of people show up because they reflect and remember the feeling (from Earth, Wind and Fire),” Tobin said. “And for the young kids it’s something new, it’s entirely different from anything they’ve been listening to. It’s still got the pull.”

The key to the draw Smith said, is the positive spiritual thrust of the music, the message behind the tunes.

“The message is about something we don’t talk about in music much anymore,” Smith said. “It’s about uplifting everybody, it’s about saying it’s going to be OK.”

“You’re a shining star,” Tobin added, referencing the band’s 1975 No. 1 hit.

“It doesn’t matter who you are,” Smith chimed in. “It’s about keeping your head up to the sky. Of course, we’re going to go through things everyday. You’ve got to go through things to make you strong. But that music is just uplifting. That’s what their songs do. It’s not often you can hear a song and that’s your shot of five-hour energy in a two-minute song.”

Visually, Kalimba seeks to emulate a little of the Earth, Wind & Fire live experience as well. Although obviously, impossible to match the enormous stage show budgets and pyrotechnic displays, the band seeks to be visually appealing.

“We dress sharp, the stage has to be sharp,” Smith said. “A good stage presence and beautiful sound is what it’s all about.”

At the core, however, is the music and the message.

“It’s all about taking care of each other, loving each other and trying to reach a higher level of spiritual being,” Smith said. “And when it’s done right, it’s just that feeling that Earth, Wind & Fire brings to you. It’s tough to put into words. It’s just that feeling.”

More information on the band is available at www.kalimbaband.com.