Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Various: Soul Sessions

Various: Soul Sessions

By AAJ Staff
April 12, 2002
View read count

Giant Step is a brand name when it comes to soul music, in all its traditional and not so traditional forms. This collection, mostly derived from Giant Step’s own catalog, showcases a depth of talent and variety within a who’s who of the modern soul movement. It goes beyond the recent hip-hop/soul hybrid phenomenon of neo-soul, to explore the fusion of soul with production that is influenced by broken beat, drum & bass, house, and funk. There’s the futuristic epic soul of the Herbie Hancock and Chaka Khan collabo “The Essence”, remixed by Joe Claussell for a 13-minute saga that sees a head-on meeting between classic soul and modern electronica. Ultra Nate’s sublimely evocative “Twisted” bears the hallmarks of 4Hero’s classy production and Imani Uzuri’s “Again” is a haunting showcase of this new talent. Seek’s “Ever After” is a sweet jazz/house blend that gives the mood an upswing toward the end of the CD. Closing out is “Mariposa” by Nickodemus & Osiris - a hip-hop influenced affair with a Latin flair. Finally, Shawn Lee’s acoustic guitar driven “Happiness” sends you home with a smile on your face. Soul Sessions is an expansive collection that takes in soul in all its forms, hybrids and moods and elevates it to the next level for one extremely classy CD. Stunning.

Album information

Title: Soul Sessions | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Giant Step

PREVIOUS / NEXT

1944-45 Broadcasts
< Previous

Live at Jazzbones
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.