Hailing from many musical backgrounds, one band aims to create a message of peace, love and unity through their music.

The Nth Power, a jazz-funk-gospel-soul hybrid, is coming to ArtsRiot Oct. 20.  The band will be touring their latest album, “To Be Free: Live.’’

The band, formed in New Orleans in 2012, consists of lead singer and guitarist Nick Casserino, drummer Nikki Glaspie, bassist Nate Edgar and keyboard player Courtney J’Mell Smith.  

The quartet comes from a range of diverse musical backgrounds, races and creeds, according to their website.

While Glaspie toured with Beyonce, Edgar comes from a reggae background and Smith brings soul to the group. Casserino worked with hip-hop artist Big Daddy Kane, and is a native Vermonter born in Middlebury.

The Nth Power wants their music to have a positive spiritual impact on listeners.

“We like to call it spirit music,” Casserino said. “Lyrically we’re trying to have more of a spiritual message of love and healing and coming together as one and making the world a better place.”

Working with four capable vocalists and writers can be both a blessing and a curse. “It’s funny, in a democratic situation you gotta hear everybody out,” he said. “Sometimes that can feel constricting, but when all our powers are combined, the end product is better.”

As an artist, Casserino said he has an obligation to use his voice to make a difference in the world. “There’s a lot of terrible shit going on in our country,” he said.

“I live in New York, there’s a lot of tension, a lot of real bad shit. I have a microphone – I figure it’s time for me to use it and talk about this shit. We got microphones, plug that in.”

The band’s diversity, both musically and otherwise, gives them a special opportunity to create something unique that can have a great effect on a wide range of people, Casserino said.

“Everybody coming from where they’re coming from really adds to the uniqueness of our sound,” he said.

“That’s all I care about with art. I just want real unique, groundbreaking shit. We bring all that together and put our egos aside.”