The Souljazz Orchestra

 

I have known about The Souljazz Orchestra for over 5 years. 

I met the band when they performed at Divan Orange a few years ago.  As much as I enjoyed their performance at the intimate venue, I felt the strength of their sound was stifled.  When I learned they would be performing at the Montreal Jazz Festival, I knew I would have to attend.  I anticipated hearing their funky music grooves and rhythms loud among the other spectators at the Scène TD de la Place des Festivals. 

I believe I enjoyed The Souljazz Orchestra’s hour-long set the way I was meant to.  The brass-heavy sounds were unrestricted and easily could have been heard in the condos, apartments and offices nearby. 

There was not much prodding needed for spectators to dance.  By the 30-45 minute mark of the show, the band was especially in full swing.  Mr. President is the among the first Souljazz Orchestra songs I was aware of from the Required Listening 2 compilation.  It was among their set’s final songs with Parasite. 

The baritone sax player announced that a new Souljazz Orchestra album will be unleashed called Solidarity.

It was fantastic news to learn that there will a new album from the band in 2014 called Inner Fire.

This blogger will now announce that there will be a great deal of The Souljazz Orchestra music played on The Suite Delight radio show in weeks to come.

The Suite Delight new time slot is Tuesday morning 2-3am EST on www.ckut.ca & 90.3 FM.

 

If you haven't already, please make yourself familiar with the link below for more of your favorite show and mine.

 

Below is a podcast to bring you up to speed.  Click here to download it and more.

The Suite Delight - April 15, 2014 Playlist:

1. Valique – Taking Your Seat
2. Pleaser - Bateria Virtual (DJ Enredo Remix)
3. Greenwood Rhythm Coalition – Rise Up
4. Tim “Elder” Lee – Disco Insert
5. Mr. Scruff – Get A Move On
6. William Onyeabor – Better Change Your Mind
7. The Souljazz Orchestra – Ya Basta
8. Ikebe Shakedown – Tame The Beats
9. Kelis – Glow feat. Raphael Saadiq
10. The Clonious – Emora
11. The Boombap Cats – Interlude (Dilla Tribute)
12. Tall Black Guy – Mon Amie De’Troit

The Suite Delight - March 4, 2014 Playlist:

1. Kokolo - Soul Power (Lack Of Afro Remix)
2. Kelis - Trick Me
3. Nickodemus – 2 Sips & Magic (Second Sky & Thomas Blondet Remix)
4. The Souljazz Orchestra - Celestial Blues
5. Fabolous - So Into You feat Tamia
6. DJ Honda - When You Hot, You Hot feat. No I.D. & Dug Infinite
7. Fashawn - LIfe As a Shorty
8. Oh No - Beware feat. Cali Agents
9. Brand Nubian - Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down (Remix) Featuring Diamond D
10. Souls of Mischief - Good Feeling
11. De La Soul - Afro Connections At A Hi 5
12. Moka Only & Chief - Crickets
13. Grand Analog - Take It Slow (Spaces & Places)

The Suite Delight February 18, 2014 Playlist:

1. The Incredible Bongo Band - Let There Be Drums
2. The Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock
3. Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools
4. Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway - Back Together Again
5. The Souljazz Orchestra - Rejoice Pt. 2
6. Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
7. Otis Redding - These Arms of Mine
8. Asheru & Blue Black of The Unspoken Heard - B-Boy
9. Roc C - Don't Stop feat. Oh No & Pox Dog
10. De La Soul - Potholes In My Lawn 
11. Superlover Cee & Casanova Rud - Do The James
12. Master Ace - Go Where I Will Send Thee
13. Koncept – Aspirations feat. Soul Khan
14. Abdominal - T.Ode feat. Notes to Self

The Suite Delight - January 28 Playlist:

The Suite Delight - 2014-01-28 by Dj Solespin on Mixcloud

1. Chic - Good Times 
2. Michael Bloomfield - Killing Floor 
3. Otis Redding - The Huckle-Buck 
4. The Souljazz Orchestra - Kelen Ati Leen 
5. Twilight - Straight To My Heart 
6. Madlib - Stormy 
7. Poor Righteous Teachers - Rock Dis Funky Joint (On Fire Remix) 
8. Black Moon - How Many MCs (DJ Evil Dee Remix) 
9. DJ K.O. - Ladder of Success feat. Masta Ace, Wordsworth, K Hill & Phonte 
10. Dan-e-o - Margerine 
11. Zion I & The Grouch - Trains And Planes 
12. D-Sisive - Brian Wilson

DJ Andy Smith

I love mixtapes.

When I say mixtapes, I mean the compilations of songs preferably mixed with some semblance of a theme or cohesiveness left for you to decipher and enjoy.

I blogged about The Rapture's mix CD and will now write about quite possibly the most important mixtape I've ever heard, Andy Smith's The Document.

Years ago, I was hunting for music on vinyl, CD & even audio cassette and stopped at a favorite nearby music store. For whatever reason, I remember seeing The Document CD on many occasions but paid no mind to it. It was possibly while browsing CDs at that store that I'd glance at it.



One day I decided to take a closer look at the CD and its contents. The tracklisting appeared to be eclectic to say the least and that got my attention. The issue for me was how could a CD have Jeru The Damaja, Jungle Brothers, Tom Jones and The James Gang among its songs?

I will admit to being quite linear in my thinking even though I studied, listened to, knew and had a lot of music. I did not know how or why the songs would go from hip hop to rock and vice versa on the CD but I was curious to learn.



I sampled the CD and understood its modus operandi. The songs were mixed together and so seamlessly that the connections between the contrasting genres made me understand music is not always to be categorized, classified and compartmentalized. I learned that listening to music of varying genres can be an enriching and rewarding experience.

If De La Soul made me see there was nothing to fear in sampling varying music genres to make hip hop and the late 90s/early 2000s Brass Knuckles/Blizzarts era made me realize there was more funk and soul than James Brown then DJ Andy Smith’s Document made me see there was nothing wrong in blending varying genres of music as long as it was done as right as possible.



I not too long ago came across, listened to and marvelled at my copy of The Document. Not only do I seek mixtapes in the mold of The Document, I seek mixtapes that will hopefully open my mind to new revelations and somehow inspire me to be a better DJ.

I listened to The Document II and unfortunately found it did not take me to the next phase like I could have hoped. Maybe my expectations were too high and blinded me to the wonder of the second installment. Perhaps a more objective listening will cause me to blog about the beauty of The Document II one day. For now, it appears I will never forget my first.

News of DJ Andy Smith appearing at Montreal's The Goods on October 25 couldn't make me happier.  The Goods takes place from 10:30-3:30 AM with a $15 admission on the last Saturday of the month at La Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Laurent (coin St. Joseph).