The Souljazz Orchestra Explained

The Souljazz Orchestra
Background:	group_or_band
Genre:	Jazz, jazz funk^[1]
Years Active:	2002–present
Origin:	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Label:	Funk Manchu, Do Right!, Strut
Current Members:	Pierre Chrétien Marielle Rivard Steve Patterson Ray Murray Zakari Frantz Philippe Lafrenière

The Souljazz Orchestra is a Canadian musical group based in Ottawa that has toured Canada, the United States and Europe. Their music is a fusion of soul, jazz, funk, Afrobeat and Latin-American styles.^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5] ^[6] ^[7] ^[8] ^[9]

Career

The band signed to London-based Strut Records, a UK record label that focuses on dance music and afrobeat. Other musicians signed to Strut include "Ethio-Jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke, Motown guitarist Dennis Coffey and Ghanaian highlife singer Ebo Taylor, to name a few."^[10]

According to AllMusic, the band's "overtly political 2006 single "Mista President," off second album Freedom No Go Die (Do Right!), really increased their audience, [as it was] voted to the number nine spot in the 2006 Top 30 of BBC DJ Gilles Peterson's Worldwide programme.^[11]

In 2012, the band completed two US tours that included stops in cities such as Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Chicago.^[12] ^[13]

Their Resistance album release tour of Europe, all October/November 2015, sees them among others in London, Liverpool, Zurich, Paris, Lyon, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Cologne, Vienna, Prague, Athens, Marseille.

The band has had three Juno nominations: Instrumental Album of the Year (Rising Sun, 2011), and World Music Album of the Year (Solidarity, 2013, and Resistance, 2016.)

Members

Pierre Chrétien – electric piano, clavinet, organ, guitar, bass, percussion, vocals
Marielle Rivard – percussion, vocals
Steve Patterson – tenor sax, percussion, vocals
Ray Murray – baritone sax, percussion, vocals
Zakari Frantz – alto sax, flute, percussion, vocals
Philippe Lafrenière – drums, percussion, vocals

Discography

Uprooted (Funk Manchu, 2005)
Freedom No Go Die (Do Right!, 2007)
Manifesto (Do Right!, 2008)
Rising Sun (Strut, 2010)
Solidarity (Strut, 2012)
Inner Fire (Strut, 2014)
Resistance (Strut, 2015)
Under Burning Skies (Strut, 2017)
Chaos Theories (Strut, 2019)

External links

Official site

Notes and References

Web site: Kellman . Andy . The Souljazz Orchestra . AllMusic . 29 August 2018.
News: Souljazz Orchestra going global . Wigney. Allan. jam.canoe.ca. Sun Media. 2008-05-28. 2008-07-07. usurped. https://archive.today/20130115071841/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/S/Souljazz_Orchestra/2008/05/28/5691796-sun.html . 2013-01-15.
News: Souljazz Orchestra: Bangin' Afrobeat straight outta Ottawa. Perlich. Tim. NOW Magazine . 2008-07-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110605044031/http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=156579&archive=26,25,2007. 2011-06-05.
News: Global Positioning: Ottawa's Souljazz Orchestra. C. Scott. Montreal Mirror . Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée. 2008-07-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20081007043916/http://www.montrealmirror.com/2007/041907/music7.html. 2008-10-07 . dead.
Web site: Kellman. Andy. The Souljazz Orchestra: Music Biography, Credits and Discography . AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. 27 July 2012.
Web site: Liss . Sarah. Top 10 albums of 2010. CBC News. . 27 July 2012. Andre Mayer .
Web site: Souljazz Orchestra Headlines First Major US Tour. National Geographic World Music. National Geographic Society. 27 July 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120510112410/http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/article/content.article/souljazz_orchestra_tour/en_US. 10 May 2012 .
Web site: Dacks. David. The Souljazz Orchestra - Rising Sun. Exclaim! . Exclaim! Media. 27 July 2012.
Web site: Detwiler. Ryan A.. The Souljazz Orchestra heads south of the border for first major US tour, heats up mild American winter . Tiny Mix Tapes. Tiny Mix Tapes. 27 July 2012.
"Souljazz Orchestra Headlines First Major US Tour". National Geographic World Music. National Geographic Society. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
Kellman, Andy. "The Souljazz Orchestra: Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
Detwiler, Ryan A. "The Souljazz Orchestra heads south of the border for first major US tour, heats up mild American winter". Tiny Mix Tapes. Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
Web site: Video Selecter: The Souljazz Orchestra. https://archive.today/20130615225128/http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/article/content.article/video_selecter_souljazz2;jsessionid=CA9E6956307E11A934038D8FC3E5E5C4/en_US. dead. 15 June 2013. Pryor. Tom. National Geographic World Music. National Geographic Society. 23 April 2013.