“I can feel the music.”

It’s a line that certainly rings true when listening to this passionate tune by The Lee Boys, a family ensemble from south Florida.

Alongside the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a funk and bebop group from New Orleans, The Lee Boys will play The Melting Point Thursday night.

The two brothers and three nephews that comprise this vibrant band, jam out to sacred steel music, a fusion of gospel, funk and blues that developed in the thirties.

“We grew up playing and listening to sacred steel in church,” said Alvin Lee, the guitarist and founder of the group.

Sacred steel had not become familiarized until the notable Robert Randolph was discovered in 2000. Even though they had grown up in this style, The Lee Boys hadn’t considered taking on the mainstream like Randolph just yet.

It wasn’t until the unfortunate passing of their father and brother in 2000 that they became “inspired to spread it to the world and bring it out from within the church,” Lee said.

Shortly after in 2001, the family started playing professionally. And although the band is made up of uncles and nephews, Lee describes the relationship as “a father and son type of thing.”

The Lee Boys musical influences fall under a wide range of artists such as Michael Jackson, Victor Wooten and even Stevie Ray Vaughn. However, they still manage to “bring the sacred steel sound together to form The Lee Boys style of music,” Lee said.

The music itself sounds like The Allman Brothers and other southern jam bands, but the lyrics stay true to gospel roots.

“We’re not preachers but every show we do, someone tells us they are touched spiritually by our music,” Lee said.

Their newest release, “Live at Telluride,” is comprised mostly of past songs but has some new material like “Walk with Me Lord.” But the Boys know how to keep crowds on their toes, as most of the older tracks are revamped from the original studio recording.

After trying a few other live recordings, they chose Telluride because “the energy of The Lee Boys was captured there,” Lee said.

It’s no surprise that The Lee Boys favor the high-spirited atmosphere of a music festival.

“We just love festivals, they are our number one thing,” Lee said. They played everything from notorious Bonnaroo to lesser-known Bel Chere in Asheville, N.C. this summer. But Lee also said that they have an appreciation for the intimacy of small venues. This dynamic family affair has developed a zest for past Athens audiences.

“The college scene is great, and we really get a fun crowd,” Lee said.