"One of the most important, influential independent releases of 2003".
-Joerg Michael Schmitt/Sonic Soul
www.soulsite.de
"This album has subtle mixes of jazz, soul and r&b, and I can say that it bears its name to wonder"!!
-www.onlygroove.com
"The instrumental performances are tight and groove based. The singing is dead on and well endowed with pristine harmonies. Geared towards lazy, romantic, Cristal sipping fireside evenings."
-Michael Henningsen/Alibi
www.alibi.com
"I really enjoyed listening to the sounds of Soul Divine plus I feel very privileged to be able to play their CD on the radio here in Germany!"
-Florian Diehl/Jam FM Germany
Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Soul Divine has been a driving force on the music scene since 1997. Comprised of Jaxon, Jak, Juan Mena, Frank Mirabal and Charles Crawford, the band continues to evolve and break new musical ground. In 2003, Soul Divine released its first album, which has been a critical and commercial success. The self-titled debut album of the band has been an underground success in the world market, spawning singles on heavy rotation in the U.K., Germany, Japan, Costa Rica and Argentina. In addition, the prolific songwriting talents of Soul Divine's singer/songwriter/guitarist Jak have been featured on releases by Warner Brothers (The Brothers Soundtrack, 2001) and Hybrid Recordings (AB/Why?, 2003).
Melding old school funk with jazz and Latin influence, this five-piece unit has extensive experience in a variety of different musical genres. With credits that include performances with the legendary James Brown, Eddie Palmieri, Lakeside and the Dazz Band, the group has been on par with the genre's best artists. Individually, the members of the group have toured with international artists, while guitarist Jak has garnered major label credits including Epic, MCA, Warner Brothers, Hybrid, and Motown. As a solo artist, Jak's mid-eighties release "I Go Wild" on CBS (Now Epic) was a critical success. The album seamlessly wove R&B, Rock and New Wave influences in its sonic landscape, which was very innovative for the era. The album sold over 80,000 copies worldwide with little resources and marketing support from the parent label.
Rooted in classic soul/R&B music, Soul Divine has been heavily influenced by the genre's great '70's artists. Earth, Wind and Fire, Sly and the Family Stone, Prince, Parliament Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye are some of the many musical influences adopted by the band. Many of the era's great folk singers such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell are also cited as influences. "I'm a big fan of lyrical substance," says guitarist/vocalist Jak. "A good dance groove has its place, however if you can cleverly weave lyrics with substance into the mix, you have a real song." Take a listen to Soul Divine and I'm sure you will agree that there can be real substance in today's soul/R&B music.
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