Soul music has an undeniable ability to uplift you. From sensuous grooves and passionate ballads, to emotional ballads – soul is guaranteed to get you up on your feet and dancing.
Soul music fuses elements from gospel, blues and rhythm & blues music styles into one genre, but its true blossoming took place with the Civil Rights movement and black pride movement.
1. Liquid Soul
Liquid Soul, a Chicago-based band, has raised acid jazz and funk to an entirely new level through their infectious music. Their latest release Evolution (Shanachie) offers up a delicious collection of upbeat jazz-funk tunes guaranteed to get people dancing the moment they hear them!
The 10-track collection boasts an eclectic blend of funk, jazz and rap with smartly used samples that propels each track with unrelenting energy. “Make Some Noise,” featuring clarion horn lines, tight sampling and confident rhymes; or Latin-tinged ballads featuring Nina Simone’s daughter performing vocals are just examples of their impressive talent.
Live performances by this group are electrifyingly charged, featuring melodies that swirl amidst an expansive variety of free-flowing loops, rhythms and beats. Saxist Mars Williams spearheads their fluid funk attack while Simone brings high-energy vocals for added appeal.
While their sound is rooted in jazz, its songs incorporate R&B, hip-hop and techno elements for an irresistibly enjoyable dance floor groove that will have you grinning all night long. Their fourth album expands their stylistic universe further with world music elements as well as techno experiments.
Liquid Soul not only blends music styles, but they also provide a safe space for listeners to connect, heal and grow in an inclusive manner. Their podcast features interviews with inspiring individuals from different walks of life who share their journeys while offering guidance towards finding one’s own inner light.
There’s no better way to kick-off your Sunday than by attending one of the Soulful Sunday events! For a list of upcoming soulful events, visit our Soulful Sundays page.
Book The Old Skool Gang as part of a theme show or variety dance set and let their captivating showmanship and extensive collection of soul, funk and disco hits delight audiences at any venue! Tickets should be booked now to avoid missing out! This band can be booked nationwide; to learn more please visit their website or email them directly.
2. The Staple Singers
For classic soul music, The Staple Singers of Chicago cannot be beat. Led by patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his daughters Cleotha and Mavis as well as son Pervis (later replaced by his sister Yvonne) Pervis became mainstream success with an impressive mix of gospel, R&B, and jazz that remains both stunning and compelling today.
“Respect Yourself,” considered one of the landmarks of the Civil Rights movement, was performed by this pioneering black gospel quartet touring with major rock bands. A number of their songs offered messages of empowerment and racial equality through song.
The Staples were an influential family band in early 1950s gospel and soul music scene. Recording at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and Stax Records studios, their musically innovative blend of gospel and soul influenced an entire generation of R&B artists.
Their trademark high tremolo guitar riffs combined with Mavis Staples’ range made them stand out. Additionally, they incorporated unusual instruments such as the percussion wand into their set list to make them truly unforgettable.
As their career advanced, it became evident that they required expanding their horizons. Throughout the 1960s they experimented with full band recordings as well as studio recording techniques; touring alongside jazz icons like Dizzy Gillespie made their mark.
The Staples were an unlikely transformation story during the 70s. Their first major hit “I’ll Take You There” with Muscle Shoals Swampers became their breakthrough hit and cemented them as one of America’s premier vocal groups. Following that album came “Be Altitude: Respect Yourself”, which helped transform them from regional act into national sensation.
No one could dispute that The Staples were one of the most influential musical groups ever; their combination of gospel and soul music remains unparalleled. Additionally, they were the first black gospel quartet to tour and record with major rock acts; many of their songs advocated empowerment and racial equality.
The Staples may not be for everyone, but their music deserves to be heard. From their tribute to Bob Dylan with “Blowin’ In The Wind” or their country-infused cover of Martin Luther King Jr’s “Masters of War”, their songs should be heard by fans of both contemporary and classic American music alike.
3. The Edwin Hawkins Singers
Edwin Hawkins was an influential figure in contemporary gospel music for over four decades, culminating in a cross-over hit called ‘Oh Happy Day” which became a smash hit in 1969.
This song also propelled Walter Hawkins into gospel music. A talented writer and producer himself, Walter was known for his expressive vocal range which bridged first tenor and alto voices; creating chills and tingles within his compositions that brought audiences on an unforgettable spiritual journey.
Hawkins first made his mark as a singer in Arkansas during the early 1950s. A frequent performer at a local club, performing alongside such luminaries as Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, Hawkins eventually made the move north of the border where he found an enthusiastic music industry and an appreciative audience.
He established his group The Hawks in 1961 with a Canadian backing band consisting of Rick Danko and Richard Manuel from Simcoe as keyboardists, along with classically trained bassist Garth Hudson of London as bassist. At first, this rockabilly-influenced ensemble produced some minor hits across Canada.
But the times were changing, and Hawkins began straying from his roots by recording jazz and country albums that didn’t sell well; he also began building his family life after marrying Wanda.
Years later, Hawkins relocated his band and signed with a record label on the West Coast. Additionally, he started to collaborate with producers and song writers from Bay Area such as his longtime partner Roquel Davis.
Chess Records provided them with their first break, signing the group to their Checker label. At this point in San Francisco’s musical history, soul musicians had already started featuring on Chess’ roster of producers and writers; providing singers like Rhea a great studio environment and expanding audiences for soul music.
Checker Records’ production department was overseen by Jack McClure, a former member of Chess’ acclaimed soul revues who had also collaborated with Berry Gordy and his associates as a producer. McClure managed a group of musicians rehired by Brunswick Records’ Detroit office.
4. Clara Walker
Clara Walker and her sisters learned jazz and blues music that was steeped in African cultural heritage as part of the Great Migration that occurred during World War II, in addition to gospel, which served as an expression of prayer.
She first started singing as part of a children’s choir at West Point Missionary Baptist Church on Cottage Grove Avenue and soon formed her own gospel singing ensemble called the Caravans that traveled throughout Chicagoland as well as further south and west where gospel songs were often banned.
Her vocals were strong yet unassuming, her phrasing both melodic and plaintive; her high tenor voice recalling Ted Taylor’s soul music.
Though she could sing many styles of music – from opera to gospel – her ultimate goal was always gospel singing. Inspired by Mahalia Jackson and Thomas Dorsey as gospel stars who inspired her musical path.
In 1889, Walker relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, working as a laundress while also joining the African Methodist Episcopal Church and volunteering within her community. Her commitment led her to create a group that helped raise money for local charities.
One year later, she joined Gertrude Ward’s family group – the Ward Singers – which had become one of gospel music’s premier groups after performing at the 1943 National Baptist Convention. Their dynamic performance at that convention cemented their place among gospel’s elite groups.
Walker maintained her humility despite her fame and fortune, forgoing luxury items in favor of giving of herself and resources towards helping others. She even initiated a women’s lodging house as well as service that helped locate loved ones hospitalized nearby.
As she aged, Walker experienced health complications and respiratory difficulties. On Friday she passed away at RML Specialty Hospital in Chicago at age 81; her last major performance with Caravans at Chicago Gospel Music Festival took place June.