Now celebrating its 17th year, the Souljazz Orchestra continues to be an unstoppable force. 'Police The Police' starts the offensive, exposing the problem of police violence in North America from a personal standpoint 'House Of Cards' then takes a thinly veiled swipe at the current US administration on an infectious disco groove 'Boat Rockers' challenges us all to look beyond accepted norms and 'General Strike' documents the frustrations of the working class as the economic gap gets increasingly wider 'Slumlord' shines the spotlight on dodgy landlords while the brilliant closer 'Well Runs Dry' laments modern day living, with its confused pace and mundane obsessions, and incites us to seize the day while we still can. The album takes the listener from carefully targeted sonic missiles to more reflective thought-provoking moments.
#THE SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA INNER FIRE SONGS FREE#
"We were basically messing around with the idea of creating our own flavour of Afro-punk", mentions composer Pierre Chrétien, "something with the fierce, in-your-face energy of punk rock or free jazz, but still backed by the soulful, hypnotic grooves of tropical music." The band continues to evolve its sound as well, drawing on a broad palette, from its trademark Latin, Afro and Caribbean styles to some of the cross-pollinated UK sounds of the early '80s, the era of The Clash, The Police, 2-Tone and frontline reggae. Always known for its uncompromising social and political messages, the Canadian collective hits harder than ever on these nine new tracks, outing the hypocrisy of modern day politics, abuses of power by law enforcement, and the everyday struggle of the working man.
The Souljazz Orchestra returns with a brand new studio album for our troubled times, Chaos Theories. On Inner Fire, the different vibes come thick and fast, burning through afro-jazz stompers, highlife flourishes, Cuban bolero sounds, smoldering salsa dura, and even scorching personal rendition of Gary Bartz NTU Troop’s 1971 classic, “Celestial Blues.Since first arriving on the scene at the turn of the millenium, the Souljazz Orchestra has never stopped pushing the limits of its signature sound: an explosive clash of soul, jazz and tropical styles, unleashed by blaring majestic horns, dusty vintage keyboards, and an arsenal of earthquaking percussion. “We all have very wide tastes, we’re always digging for new sounds, and we’ve had the chance to work with master musicians from all over, from Nigeria to Rwanda, from Cuba to Haiti, so each band member ends up bringing different vibes and ideas to each of our albums,” explains keyboardist Chrétien. The secret to the band’s sound remains a true openness to global music of all kinds and the individual experiences of the Orchestra’s band members. Recorded using the Orchestra’s signature analogue techniques at their studio HQ in their home city of Ottawa, the new set continues the band’s expansive musical journey as they effortlessly fuse intricate Eastern influences, Afro beats, Egyptian jazz, Latin styles and spiritual elements into their unique musical melting pot.
sees The Souljazz Orchestra perfecting their global music fusion, and treading some extremely funky territory while they’re at it. Our favorite globally-minded Canadian virtuosos have finished up a new recording for 2014, and it’s a real scorcher! Inner Fire, the latest from Pierre Chrétien & co. Limited 180g Vinyl Edition (Only in the Strut Store).