Album Notes

The World Soul Project


The World Soul Project is a group of musicians who celebrate the wealth of music traditions from around the world by blending them into a brilliant collage. The result is - at times exhilirating, at other times soothing - but always soul stirring music that draws heavily from Brazil, Africa and the Southern US.

13 of the 18 songs are instrumental tunes that feature acoustic instruments. The remaining 5 feature vocals. As the Project prefers to capture the jazz tradition of live interaction between musicians, the recordings were done in a live session atmosphere. On certain tracks, overdubs were used sparingly. All songs are originals from within the group.

The group came together to realize their most recent compositions. Recording at Gerard Harris’s studio in Memphis,TN the group formally consists of five players - Gerard Harris/guitar, Ben Flint/ piano & keyboards, Barry Campbell/ Bass, James Sexton/ drums and Ekpe/ percussion. All have Memphis roots and have absorbed the deep gospel, blues and jazz tinge of the region.

In addition, this Cd includes six great singers - Will Graves, a Memphis soul singer; Patricia Reis and Adriano Faquini, two native Brazilians; Kimiko Joy, a Berkeley flower child; and Vicki Newsum, a Stax session singer.

Aware of the unrest and exploitation suffered across the globe, the World Soul Project raises it’s voice in a message of optimism -

Someday

Someday We Will All See Freedom
From Hunger, from Sorrow, from War and Sickness.
Someday We Will All See Freedom, Peace on Earth.

This music embodies that hope.