'That's made for music, that is!'

Please pardon the language deficiencies of this post, and the blatant and shameless use of this site for the promotion of a friend's band.

"Since 2002, the Ottawa-based Soul Jazz Orchestra has been keeping the classic sounds of raw, gritty groove alive and well in Canada. Their style combines jazz, funk, African and Latin music with messages touching on politics and spirituality.

"Blaring horns, retro keyboards and polyrhythmic beats show the influence of James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Fela Kuti and Tito Puente, but the sound remains original. Their stylistic variety is in part due to the diverse musical backgrounds of the bands individual members : jazz, funk, blues, reggae, classical, and Cuban, Brazilian and West African percussion.

"The band released its second album, Freedom No Go Die, in September of 2006. This high-energy release focuses mainly on afrobeat music, and features the vocal stylings of [Juno-award winning Rwandan/Burundian artist] Mighty Popo, and [Ottawa-based] Alanna Stuart and Marielle Rivard. The album is already creating quite a stir in the dancefloor jazz scene, prompting DJ Gilles Peterson from BBC Radio 1 to exclaim, "That's made for music, that is!" The Ottawa Sun went on to state that "while lost in the inspired music of Souljazz's brilliant sophomore CD, Freedom No Go Die, listeners' feet, hips and minds can be forgiven for reacting as they might to the power of vintage Fela works like Coffin for Head of State"."

www.souljazzorchestra.com