*These days in the commercial Black music universe, production is dominated by tracks created by producers. There are precious few bands….and the sound of musicians expressing themselves in real time is an increasingly rare commodity.
And singers? All too often vocal limitations are covered up by studio wizardry as vocals are assembled from bits and pieces. That is why it is a such a pleasant shock to hear “Wibble Wobble” the new single from Soul Understated.
The track bursts with energy, an organic funk that only real musicians vibing together can create. And when Mavis “Swan” Poole sings, it is with a raw power and freely-expressed soulfulness that cannot be manufactured. And the lyrics lay down a refreshing message-embrace your sexiness no matter what your shape or “look” may be. The track fairly oozes with down-to-earth sensuality.
“Wibble Wobble” is the first taste of Soul Understated’s upcoming E.P. Songs In The Key Of Grease, slated for a May release. Guest musicians on the E.P.include Washington, DC luminaries Marc Cary, alumnus of Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln’s bands, on Piano and keyboards and Mighty Moe Hagans of the Chuck Brown band on percussion.
The core of Soul Understated is drummer Jeremy “Bean” Clemons and vocalist Mavis “Swan” Poole. Both have worked with some of the best in the game; Bean having played with such diverse artists as Gregory Porter, Andy Bey and Burning Spear while Swan has sung with Prince, Lauryn Hill, Shirley Caesar and Nicholas Payton among others.
Bean and Swan got together just over a decade ago, bringing their wide array of musical chops from the realms of funk, R&B, hip-hop, gospel and jazz to their unique vehicle: Soul Understated-which they describe as “soulful, jazzy, R&B-esque, gospel-ly, funk-ish rhythms and grooves a/k/a feel-good music.”
They’ve appeared at such major festivals as The Blue Notes Jazz Fest, The Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest, the Toronto Jazz Festival and the Capital Jazz Super Cruise, while Swan appeared in the HBO series Vinyl. Nonetheless, the upcoming “Songs In The Key Of Grease” represents their true coming out!
source:
Monifa Brown
mbrown@shanachie.com
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
