Round-Up April 2019

Read our round-up of April releases below!

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The Soul Motivators – ‘Mindblasting’

There are a couple of Canadian soul acts which have recently grabbed this writer’s attention. The first are Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, whose song ‘Chasing Dreams’ made our ‘Best Soul Songs of 2018‘ list. The second are The Soul Motivators, a nine-piece soul ensemble anchored by the dazzling Shahi Teruko. Their latest single ‘Mindblasting’ is brassy and energetic, immediately conjuring thoughts of Stax and ’70s funk. Their live video showcases their musical alchemy and Teruko’s infectious and slightly frenzied (in a good way!) performance style. Their discography, available to steam on Spotify, features scintillating instrumentals.

Gideon King & City Blog featuring Elliott Skinner – ‘Audience of One’

Gideon King is a rising star in the New York jazz scene. His new single ‘Audience of One’ is an introspective meditation on loneliness with a sparse arrangement and vulnerable singing from Elliott Skinner. Speaking to The House That Soul Built, King explained the song’s meaning. ‘”Audience Of One” is about the value of having one person in the world that will actually cheer you on in a totally unconflicted way. It’s about the good fortune of accessing so much as one real listener in the one life we sort of have. It’s also about the horror of losing that one sympathetic friend. Nowadays our utterances are broadcast at lighting speed across a spectrum of hungry people who couldn’t possibly give an actual genuine damn about what is being said notwithstanding all the likes and emoji’s and shares. Society may be more full of crap than ever. What I am saying is one can have 50,000 followers but if one doesn’t have an “Audience Of One”, one has nothing.’

Jam & Lewis with Sounds of Blackness – ‘Til I Found You’

The legendary songwriting and production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – best known for their work with Janet Jackson – have partnered with Grammy-winning ensemble Sounds of Blackness for their latest single. A busy R&B mid-tempo with gospel underpinnings, ‘Til I Found You’ is a celebratory jam about finding love. There is perhaps an overload of vocal extemporising, but the joy is infectious.

Jordan John – ‘Get in the Groove’

Canadian artist Jordan John was invited to open for Aretha Franklin at the Toronto Jazz Festival. His latest single ‘Get in the Groove’ draws heavily on soul and funk convention. It is hardly the most daring piece of soul, but there is certainly danceability and groove.