New Soul

A friend introduced me to new soul a few years ago. At the time the genre seems to have had a number of names: new soul, nu soul, neo soul, retro soul and soul revival. The names have virtually disappeared, but the music remains exceptional.

It’s the kind of music that brings you up when you’re down. The new soul artists were committed to an old-style sound, though modern elements often came through in lyrics. The most popular example was Amy Winehouse. Many of her songs sounded completely upbeat and danceable, though the content was considerably more serious.

Here are 5 of my favourite musicians of the genre.

Sharon Jones

Extremely talented and incredibly energetic in concert. Sharon Jones has years of experience, but didn’t gain recognition until middle age. She had a day job as corrections officer/armored guard for many years. Her band the Dap-Kings was recruited for backing on Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black.
 
Lee Fields

Has extensive musical experience and collaborated with Sharon Jones. Unfortunately, I haven’t found much background info on him.

Nicole Willis

Talented vocalist who has collaborated with funk legend Curtis Mayfield and now lives in Helsinki.

Eli “Paperboy” Reed

Singer from Boston with wild vocal stylings reminiscent of James Brown and Scream’ Jay Hawkins. I saw him do a fantastic show at the Horseshoe, around 2008.

Sam Sparro

Australian singer who rose to fame with the single Black and Gold, and enjoyed success in the early 2000s, particularly in the UK.

Jan. 21st: Just listened to the show Q on CBC Radio (podcast here). Sharon Jones was on, speaking about her  experience with cancer. She released a new album this year, after being diagnosed in the summer and going through chemo. She begins a North American tour next month!