Not For Ordinary People
Not For Ordinary People is unabashedly and proudly a record that could have been released in 1979. The album sports lush arrangements that fuse those essential funk elements of an aggressive bass line and power packed horns. That’s not surprising considering that brothers PIppo and Beppe Lombardo identify Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, […]
The Mellisonant Album
It’s no secret to Soul Trackers that the challenges facing independent artists are not for the weak of heart. Even with increased outlets for exposure via social networking and Internet radio, the ability for authentic, gimmick-free performers to make a return on their investment depends on a number of factors outside of quality material and […]
City Heart, Southern Soul
While many artists are well equipped with surefire talents and skills in elevating themselves towards major musical exposure, sometimes their confidence can be fragile and opportunities fleeting when facing the unpredictability of the music industry ebbs and flows. When Noel Gourdin was first introduced to the national stage, already backed by a major record deal […]
So Much Love
The Nigerian born vocalist Douye proves equally adept at capturing the sound of her native land and the sensual sound of adult oriented[c1] soul on her second album So Much Love. The sound of Africa is probably never far from Douye’s heart, even while listening to her parents’ record collection that American soul and jazz […]
Unconditional Love
Cuddly and charismatic, with a round-the-way persona and a voice like crushed velvet, Birmingham, Alabama’s Ruben Studdard has had an eventful decade, turning his 2004 American Idol win into a steady stream of R&B faves (“Change Me, “Sorry 2004,” “Flying Without Wings,” etc.), stage and screen performances and even short-lived stints in both a marriage and a reality […]
You Forgot Your Heart
A native of Austin, Texas, Quentin Moore has every reason to feel content. Smiling widely for the front cover of You Forgot Your Heart, his latest album, Moore is the quintessential self-contained artist. A gifted singer (swooning from deep second alto to searing tenor), and multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, electric organ), Moore performs with the virtuosity […]
Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion (By Robert Gordon)
The 1960s and 70s were the creative periods of two iconic soul, blues and R&B labels – Stax and Motown. One label – Motown – became justifiably known as the “Sound of Young America.” Stax went by the appropriate title of “Soulsville USA.” While Motown and its artists easily found their way into the hearts […]
Love, Marriage and Divorce
As long as human beings have been able to harmonize, there have been love songs: upbeat, euphoric sonnets about connecting with that special someone or melancholy, misery-tinged melodies about hopes dashed, hearts broken and dreams deferred. But what about the in-between or the aftermath? What’s left for the ones who are clutching love by a […]
B-Sides, Features, and Heartaches
Last year, singer/songwriter/producer Eric Roberson celebrated the 10th anniversary of his landmark independent soul music recording, The Vault, Vol 1.0, while this year marks his 20th year as a recording artist, signified by his sole major label single release as a solo artist, “The Moon,” for Warner Brothers Records in 1994. Accordingly, Roberson, long crowned […]
Yesterday Today Tomorrow
Fabio Puglisi wanted his latest project, Yesterday Today Tomorrow, to have an intimate feel. So, he decided to arrange the album’s eight tracks in that most personal setting: piano and voice. That is a departure in some ways for Puglisi’s collective that goes by the moniker of Soul Basement. I was introduced to Soul Basement […]
