ARTISTS:
CINEPHONIC
ATLANTIS JAZZ ENSEMBLE
SLIM MOORE & THE MAR-KAYS
THE SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA
Cinephonic was founded in 2018 by composer / multi-instrumentalist Pierre Chrétien, as an outlet for the new cinematic
music he had been quietly writing when he wasn't busy leading larger groups such as The Souljazz Orchestra,
Atlantis Jazz Ensemble and Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays.
Cinephonic's latest release, Visions, is a baroque funk tour-de-force - an intriguing concept album made up of ancient medieval and baroque themes,
refracted through a modern prism of soul, jazz and psychedelia, all performed by a massive fourteen-piece chamber orchestra.
Drawing his main inspiration for the album from classic film and library music, Chrétien expands on the
sound with elements of cinematic soul, psychedelic rock, and spiritual jazz, creating a rich, evocative, and
complex soundscape that juxtaposes intricate compositions with dark funk backbeats - a kind of
epic soundtrack for a film that never existed.
Cinephonic on Facebook
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Like the mythical Lost Continent that gave it its name, the Atlantis Jazz Ensemble's music lies somewhere between the shores of Africa, Europe, and the Americas, influenced by jazz currents stemming from both sides of the Atlantic.
The group was founded in 2013 by saxophonist Zakari Frantz and pianist Pierre Chrétien of the Souljazz Orchestra, both looking to explore new directions in modal, spiritual and esoteric jazz music. After spending a few years refining their signature sound through residencies at the infamous Petit Chicago in Old-Hull, the Atlantis Jazz Ensemble released their debut LP in 2016, Oceanic Suite, a seven-part conceptual jazz album depicting the sea and other related themes.
Then, after a seven year absence from the studio, Atlantis rose up again in 2023 with Celestial Suite, a brilliant set of spiritual soul-jazz, with a righteous energy in the mode of some of the best work on independent labels such as Strata East or Tribe back in the day, though updated with enough modern elements to keep the vibe current and fresh. With the blend of electric piano, sax, trumpet, bass and percussion presented here, the quintet has refined the searching, soaring quality of their sound, capturing to tape, over the course of two days in the studio, an inspired session worthy of the skybound promise of the album's title.
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When you combine Slim Moore's hot-buttered voice with the honey-glazed horns and the oil-slick rhythm section of the Mar-Kays, you get the kind of deep,
rugged, gut-wrenching soul music that only comes around once in a blue moon. The kind of soul music that can be tough as leather, or smooth as silk. The kind
of soul music that can make you cry, dance, and tear your hair out - all at the same time.
Gary "Slim" Moore was born in 1964, in the urban community of Overbrook, Ontario, his parents having recently immigrated to the area from southeastern Jamaica.
Like many soul singers, he got his start singing in church, belting out hymns with his parents' Pentecostal congregation from the early age of four. While still
in his teens, he moved to Montreal, Quebec, where he began his singing career, performing with local bands and sound systems. However, it wasn't until the
mid-1990s, after moving back to his hometown, that he first met up with members of the Mar-Kays.
The project didn't take flight at the time, but the Mar-Kays continued to hone their chops in the meantime, a few of them even going on to back soul royalty:
Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Temptations, The Coasters, The Drifters, and The Platters, to name a few. Then, in 2009, the Mar-Kays managed to track down Slim
once more, and as luck had it, he was just as itching as they were to get something going again. Soon, Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays were finally a reality, and -
like fine aged Canadian whisky - the wait only made it all the more special.
Official Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays Website
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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.
The Souljazz Orchestra returns with a brand new studio album for our troubled times, Chaos Theories. 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 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. "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 album takes the listener from carefully targeted sonic missiles to more reflective thought-provoking moments. '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.
After two decades, the Souljazz Orchestra continues to be an unstoppable force. The three-time Juno nominees have been
fortunate enough to bring their dynamite show to over two dozen countries across North America, Europe and Africa, sharing the stage
with major heavyweights along the way, while showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, years of relentless touring have formed the
Souljazz Orchestra's live concerts into the stuff of legends - more often than not culminating in ecstatic, sweat-soaked, cathartic
affairs, mixing pulsating arrangements with eruptive improvisations.
Official Souljazz Orchestra Website
The Souljazz Orchestra on Facebook
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