Classic soul revival

Soul music is above all a joyous expression of life and love. For as long as I can remember artists like Aretha, Otis, Marvin, Stevie and James have thrilled me with music that lifts my spirits and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The music of that golden age of Atlantic, Motown and Stax will forever stand the test of time but those classic sounds are being revived and Soul has found its mojo again.

At the forefront of this classic soul revival is a small label from New York called Daptone Records. 

Using original analogue recording equipment they are committed to bring traditional Soul, Funk, Gospel and Afrobeat to a whole new audience. On their website they say, “Whether your preference is for discs 7-inches or 12, LPs or CDs, this is music to be savored and felt, again and again.”

In terms of Soul there are two amazing artists signed to the label, Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones.

The story of Charles Bradley is both tragic yet heartwarming. A man who struggled for over sixty years working in the catering industry while making a little money on the side as a James Brown impersonator. When Thomas Brenneck - a producer and guitarist with the label - heard him sing he decided that he had found a truly great original artist. Bradley’s voice is filled with the pain of poverty and loss, and it deserves a place beside the artists I mentioned above. With Brenneck’s help he has written his own songs that bring the finer brush strokes of his self-portrait to life and he sings them with all the passion you would expect from a truly exceptional talent.

SharonJones, with her band the Dap Kings, has toured the world incessantly for ten years. In that time they have built up a loyal and enthusiastic following due to their energetic and exciting live shows and all that they have learned is now evident in their fantastic performances on record. She is reminiscent of some of the finest Motown artists of the sixties like Gladys Knight.

Although not signed to Daptone, ‘The Excitements’ are a band that has the same love of that classic Soul sound. Although they ring with Americana, home isn’t Detroit, Philadelphia nor Atlanta; they hail from Barcelona. Singer Koko-Jean Davis will have you thinking of Etta James or a young Tina Turner. She is backed by a band that would compare with any of the great label house bands that were the power behind Aretha Frankilin, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye.

I hope I’ve given you a tantalising taste of an amazing collection of artists that are proving that classic Soul can still make modern audiences want to dance like it’s 1968.