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The Soulful Strings

January 28, 2023

The Soulful Strings were an American soul-jazz instrumental group formed in Chicago in 1966. Predominantly a studio band, the project was created and led by Richard Evans, a staff producer and musical arranger with the Chess Records subsidiary Cadet Records.[1][2]

The Soulful Strings
OriginChicago, Illinois
GenresSoul-jazz, psychedelic rock, funk
Years active1966–1971
LabelsCadet
Past members

The group comprised various members of Cadet's house band – such as Phil Upchurch (on guitar), Charles Stepney (organ, vibraphone), Lenny Druss (flute), Cleveland Eaton (bass, cello), Morris Jennings (drums), Bobby Christian (vibraphone, percussion)[3] and, later, Billy Wooten, in place of Stepney.[4] Sol Bobrov[3] and Bruce Hayden[5] were among the eponymous string players. Other contributors included Johnny Griffith and Donny Hathaway, both on keyboards,[1] and jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby.[3]

Between 1966 and 1971, the Soulful Strings released six studio albums, all recorded at Chess's Ter Mar Studios,[1] and one live album.[3] This period coincided with the peak of Cadet Records' influence, during which Green continued to produce other acts,[1] including Ashby,[3] Woody Herman[6] and Marlena Shaw.[7] Simultaneously, Stepney – often assisted by Upchurch, Christian and Jennings – also worked with the group Rotary Connection, recording for Chess's Cadet Concept label.[8] As of October 2014, the Strings' catalog remained out of print,[3] although their biggest US hit, "Burning Spear", was included on the 2004 Chess compilation Chicago Soul.[9]

Concept

The Soulful Strings' repertoire consisted mainly of cover versions,[4] often given a musical interpretation that combined soul, jazz, funk and psychedelia.[1] Speaking to an interviewer from Berklee College of Music, where he later worked as a professor teaching jazz arrangements,[6] Evans attributed the ensemble's distinctive sound to his use of violas (rather than any violins) as lead string instruments, beside the cellos. He described the combination of two violas and four cellos as "a very dark sound".[10]

In a 2009 interview with Wax Poetics magazine, Evans credited Chess co-founder Leonard Chess with initiating the strings-based concept; however, he added that the flute and guitar parts became a "driving force" as much as the string section.[1] Larry Grogan, founding editor of the soul music website Funky16Corners, writes that although superficially the project might appear to be in the "easy listening/kitsch" category, their music reveals "[not] a Montovani-esque vibe, but rather an energetic soul/funk/jazz rhythm section augmented (not overpowered) by strings".[3]

Career

The Soulful Strings' debut album, Paint It Black (1966),[11] included covers of contemporary rock and pop songs such as the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black", the Mamas & the Papas' "California Dreamin'" and the Byrds' "Eight Miles High". While commenting on the prominence of viola and flute in the arrangements, Billboard magazine's reviewer wrote: "The result is a surprise. Instead of harming the feel of the music, a new dimension is added."[12]

The ensemble made its concert debut, as a thirteen-piece, with a series of shows at Chicago's London House nightclub in mid 1968.[13] By the time the concerts were announced, the group's second album, Groovin' with the Soulful Strings (1967), had been on the US Billboard Top LP's chart for 33 weeks.[13] It included the Evans-composed "Burning Spear", which was a top 40 hit on the Billboard R&B Singles listings.[3] Among the other songs on the LP were covers of the Beatles' Indian-styled "Within You Without You", Miles Davis's "All Blues" and the Temptations' "(I Know) I'm Losing You".[14] Their most successful album, Groovin' peaked at number 59 on the Top LP's chart and at number 6 and number 2, respectively, on Billboard's best-selling R&B and Jazz LPs.[15]

Released in June 1968, Another Exposure featured interpretations of George and Ira Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So",[16] Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", and three recent songs by the Beatles:[17] "Hello, Goodbye", "Lady Madonna" and "The Inner Light".[18] The album also included three Evans compositions, among them "The Stepper" and "Soul Message".[17] Evans later said that the decision to issue "The Stepper" as a single, rather than the Stepney-arranged cover of Aretha Franklin's "Since You've Been Gone", led to difficulties in their working relationship.[1]

In November that year, the Strings released The Magic of Christmas, a collection of traditional holiday-season songs.[19] Back by Demand: The Soulful Strings in Concert (1969) was recorded live at London House over two nights in November 1968.[20] Composed solely of cover versions, it included the Temptations' hit "I Wish It Would Rain", a reworking of Debussy's "Clair de Lune",[21] as well as songs by Marvin Gaye and James Brown.[3]

Breaking the pattern of their two previous releases, the group's 1969 studio LP, String Fever (often mis-titled as Spring Fever),[4] focused on original material, producing tracks such as "Zambezi" and "Chocolate Candy". Aside from Evans' compositions, the album featured songs written by or with Hathaway and Upchurch.[3] Grogan describes String Fever as, variously, "by far the best of the Soulful Strings albums"[21] and "the group's masterpiece".[4] Producer and DJ Kirk Degiorgio, in his role as an educator with the Red Bull Music Academy, similarly included "Zambezi" and "Chocolate Candy" on his playlist reflecting the best music from Evans' career.[2]

The group's final LP, Play Gamble-Huff, consisted of cover versions of songs by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.[3] The album appeared in early 1971,[5] by which point the Chess brothers had sold Chess Records and its subsidiaries to General Recorded Tape (GRT).[22] In 1972, the GRT-owned Cadet label issued a compilation album by the group, a two-disc set titled The Best of the Soulful Strings.[23]

Discography

Release information per Both Sides Now Publications' Cadet Records discography (albums)[11] and Funky16Corners (singles);[3] all chart peaks from US charts compiled by Billboard magazine.[15]

Albums
  • Paint It Black – Cadet LPS-776 (1966); US #166, US R&B #25
  • Groovin' with the Soulful Strings – Cadet LPS-796 (1967); US #59, US R&B #6, US Jazz #2
  • Another Exposure – Cadet LPS-805 (1968); US #189, US R&B #43
  • The Magic of Christmas – Cadet LPS-814 (1968); US Christmas #35[24]
  • Back by Demand: The Soulful Strings in Concert – Cadet LPS-820 (1969); US #125, US R&B #47
  • String Fever – Cadet LPS-834 (1969); US #183, US Jazz #19
  • Play Gamble-Huff – Cadet LPS-846 (1971)
Singles

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Ubick, Dan; Ma, David (October 8, 2014). "Bassist-turned-arranger Richard Evans put the soul in Cadet Records". Wax Poetics. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Degiorgio, Krik. "Richard Evans Special". Red Bull Music Academy Radio. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Grogan, Larry (October 8, 2014). "Richard Evans 1932–2014". Funky16Corners. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Grogan, Larry. "Richard Evans: The Cadet Concept – 10 of His Greatest". F16zine. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Billboard Review Panel (January 23, 1971). "Album Reviews" > "Special Merit Picks". Billboard. p. 48. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Rodewald, Nik (November 18, 2014). "Remembering Richard Evans". BerkleeJazz. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  7. ^ Lewis, Pete (September 2015). "Marlena Shaw: California Soul II Soul". Blues & Soul. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  8. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Rotary Connection". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  9. ^ "Chicago Soul – Electric Blues, Funk and Soul: The New Sound of Chicago in the 1960s". Soul Jazz Records. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  10. ^ "Richard Evans" > "Chapter 6". Berklee College of Music Archives. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Cadet Album Discography (1965–1971)". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  12. ^ Billboard Review Panel (March 11, 1967). "Album Reviews" > "Special Merit Picks". Billboard. p. 47. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Billboard staff (June 22, 1968). "Soulful Strings in Debut at Chi Club". Billboard. p. 14. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  14. ^ Goble, Ryan Randall. "Soulful Strings Groovin' with the Soulful Strings". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Soulful Strings: Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  16. ^ Billboard Review Panel (July 6, 1968). "Album Reviews". Billboard. p. 38. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  17. ^ a b Magnus, Johnny (1968). Another Exposure (LP liner-note essay). The Soulful Strings. Cadet Records.
  18. ^ "Soulful Strings Another Exposure". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  19. ^ Billboard Review Panel (November 16, 1968). "Album Reviews". Billboard. p. 69. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  20. ^ Back by Demand: The Soulful Strings in Concert (LP sleeve credits). The Soulful Strings. Cadet Records. 1969.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ a b Grogan, Larry. "Richard Evans: The Cadet Concept – 10 of His Greatest [cont.]". F16zine. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  22. ^ Talevski, Nick (1999). The Encyclopedia of Rock Obituaries. London: Omnibus Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-7119-7548-5.
  23. ^ "GRT Consolidated Chess/Cadet Album Discography (1971–1975)". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  24. ^ Billboard Music Popularity Chart Department (December 28, 1968). "Billboard Best Bets for Christmas". Billboard. p. 57. Retrieved September 30, 2015.

January 28, 2023
soulful, strings, were, american, soul, jazz, instrumental, group, formed, chicago, 1966, predominantly, studio, band, project, created, richard, evans, staff, producer, musical, arranger, with, chess, records, subsidiary, cadet, records, originchicago, illino. The Soulful Strings were an American soul jazz instrumental group formed in Chicago in 1966 Predominantly a studio band the project was created and led by Richard Evans a staff producer and musical arranger with the Chess Records subsidiary Cadet Records 1 2 The Soulful StringsOriginChicago IllinoisGenresSoul jazz psychedelic rock funkYears active1966 1971LabelsCadetPast membersRichard Evans Phil Upchurch Charles Stepney Lenard Druss Cleveland Eaton Morris Jennings Bobby Christian Sol Bobrov Bruce Hayden Billy WootenThe group comprised various members of Cadet s house band such as Phil Upchurch on guitar Charles Stepney organ vibraphone Lenny Druss flute Cleveland Eaton bass cello Morris Jennings drums Bobby Christian vibraphone percussion 3 and later Billy Wooten in place of Stepney 4 Sol Bobrov 3 and Bruce Hayden 5 were among the eponymous string players Other contributors included Johnny Griffith and Donny Hathaway both on keyboards 1 and jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby 3 Between 1966 and 1971 the Soulful Strings released six studio albums all recorded at Chess s Ter Mar Studios 1 and one live album 3 This period coincided with the peak of Cadet Records influence during which Green continued to produce other acts 1 including Ashby 3 Woody Herman 6 and Marlena Shaw 7 Simultaneously Stepney often assisted by Upchurch Christian and Jennings also worked with the group Rotary Connection recording for Chess s Cadet Concept label 8 As of October 2014 the Strings catalog remained out of print 3 although their biggest US hit Burning Spear was included on the 2004 Chess compilation Chicago Soul 9 Contents 1 Concept 2 Career 3 Discography 4 ReferencesConcept EditThe Soulful Strings repertoire consisted mainly of cover versions 4 often given a musical interpretation that combined soul jazz funk and psychedelia 1 Speaking to an interviewer from Berklee College of Music where he later worked as a professor teaching jazz arrangements 6 Evans attributed the ensemble s distinctive sound to his use of violas rather than any violins as lead string instruments beside the cellos He described the combination of two violas and four cellos as a very dark sound 10 In a 2009 interview with Wax Poetics magazine Evans credited Chess co founder Leonard Chess with initiating the strings based concept however he added that the flute and guitar parts became a driving force as much as the string section 1 Larry Grogan founding editor of the soul music website Funky16Corners writes that although superficially the project might appear to be in the easy listening kitsch category their music reveals not a Montovani esque vibe but rather an energetic soul funk jazz rhythm section augmented not overpowered by strings 3 Career EditThe Soulful Strings debut album Paint It Black 1966 11 included covers of contemporary rock and pop songs such as the Rolling Stones Paint It Black the Mamas amp the Papas California Dreamin and the Byrds Eight Miles High While commenting on the prominence of viola and flute in the arrangements Billboard magazine s reviewer wrote The result is a surprise Instead of harming the feel of the music a new dimension is added 12 The ensemble made its concert debut as a thirteen piece with a series of shows at Chicago s London House nightclub in mid 1968 13 By the time the concerts were announced the group s second album Groovin with the Soulful Strings 1967 had been on the US Billboard Top LP s chart for 33 weeks 13 It included the Evans composed Burning Spear which was a top 40 hit on the Billboard R amp B Singles listings 3 Among the other songs on the LP were covers of the Beatles Indian styled Within You Without You Miles Davis s All Blues and the Temptations I Know I m Losing You 14 Their most successful album Groovin peaked at number 59 on the Top LP s chart and at number 6 and number 2 respectively on Billboard s best selling R amp B and Jazz LPs 15 Released in June 1968 Another Exposure featured interpretations of George and Ira Gershwin s It Ain t Necessarily So 16 Otis Redding s Sittin On The Dock of the Bay and three recent songs by the Beatles 17 Hello Goodbye Lady Madonna and The Inner Light 18 The album also included three Evans compositions among them The Stepper and Soul Message 17 Evans later said that the decision to issue The Stepper as a single rather than the Stepney arranged cover of Aretha Franklin s Since You ve Been Gone led to difficulties in their working relationship 1 In November that year the Strings released The Magic of Christmas a collection of traditional holiday season songs 19 Back by Demand The Soulful Strings in Concert 1969 was recorded live at London House over two nights in November 1968 20 Composed solely of cover versions it included the Temptations hit I Wish It Would Rain a reworking of Debussy s Clair de Lune 21 as well as songs by Marvin Gaye and James Brown 3 Breaking the pattern of their two previous releases the group s 1969 studio LP String Fever often mis titled as Spring Fever 4 focused on original material producing tracks such as Zambezi and Chocolate Candy Aside from Evans compositions the album featured songs written by or with Hathaway and Upchurch 3 Grogan describes String Fever as variously by far the best of the Soulful Strings albums 21 and the group s masterpiece 4 Producer and DJ Kirk Degiorgio in his role as an educator with the Red Bull Music Academy similarly included Zambezi and Chocolate Candy on his playlist reflecting the best music from Evans career 2 The group s final LP Play Gamble Huff consisted of cover versions of songs by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff 3 The album appeared in early 1971 5 by which point the Chess brothers had sold Chess Records and its subsidiaries to General Recorded Tape GRT 22 In 1972 the GRT owned Cadet label issued a compilation album by the group a two disc set titled The Best of the Soulful Strings 23 Discography EditRelease information per Both Sides Now Publications Cadet Records discography albums 11 and Funky16Corners singles 3 all chart peaks from US charts compiled by Billboard magazine 15 AlbumsPaint It Black Cadet LPS 776 1966 US 166 US R amp B 25 Groovin with the Soulful Strings Cadet LPS 796 1967 US 59 US R amp B 6 US Jazz 2 Another Exposure Cadet LPS 805 1968 US 189 US R amp B 43 The Magic of Christmas Cadet LPS 814 1968 US Christmas 35 24 Back by Demand The Soulful Strings in Concert Cadet LPS 820 1969 US 125 US R amp B 47 String Fever Cadet LPS 834 1969 US 183 US Jazz 19 Play Gamble Huff Cadet LPS 846 1971 Singles The Sidewinder Message to Michael Cadet 5540 1966 Paint It Black Love Is a Hurtin Thing Cadet 5559 1967 Burning Spear Within You Without You Cadet 5576 1967 US 64 US R amp B 36 The Stepper The Dock of the Bay Cadet 5607 1968 Jericho The Who Who Song Cadet 5617 1968 I Wish It Would Rain Listen Here Cadet 5633 1969 Zambezi A Love Song Cadet 5654 1969 References Edit a b c d e f g Ubick Dan Ma David October 8 2014 Bassist turned arranger Richard Evans put the soul in Cadet Records Wax Poetics Retrieved September 30 2015 a b Degiorgio Krik Richard Evans Special Red Bull Music Academy Radio Retrieved September 30 2015 a b c d e f g h i j k l Grogan Larry October 8 2014 Richard Evans 1932 2014 Funky16Corners Retrieved September 30 2015 a b c d Grogan Larry Richard Evans The Cadet Concept 10 of His Greatest F16zine Retrieved September 30 2015 a b Billboard Review Panel January 23 1971 Album Reviews gt Special Merit Picks Billboard p 48 Retrieved September 30 2015 a b Rodewald Nik November 18 2014 Remembering Richard Evans BerkleeJazz Retrieved October 1 2015 Lewis Pete September 2015 Marlena Shaw California Soul II Soul Blues amp Soul Retrieved September 30 2015 Kellman Andy Rotary Connection AllMusic Retrieved September 30 2015 Chicago Soul Electric Blues Funk and Soul The New Sound of Chicago in the 1960s Soul Jazz Records Retrieved October 1 2015 Richard Evans gt Chapter 6 Berklee College of Music Archives Retrieved September 30 2015 a b Cadet Album Discography 1965 1971 Both Sides Now Publications Retrieved September 30 2015 Billboard Review Panel March 11 1967 Album Reviews gt Special Merit Picks Billboard p 47 Retrieved September 30 2015 a b Billboard staff June 22 1968 Soulful Strings in Debut at Chi Club Billboard p 14 Retrieved September 30 2015 Goble Ryan Randall Soulful Strings Groovin with the Soulful Strings AllMusic Retrieved September 30 2015 a b Soulful Strings Awards AllMusic Retrieved September 30 2015 Billboard Review Panel July 6 1968 Album Reviews Billboard p 38 Retrieved September 30 2015 a b Magnus Johnny 1968 Another Exposure LP liner note essay The Soulful Strings Cadet Records Soulful Strings Another Exposure AllMusic Retrieved September 30 2015 Billboard Review Panel November 16 1968 Album Reviews Billboard p 69 Retrieved September 30 2015 Back by Demand The Soulful Strings in Concert LP sleeve credits The Soulful Strings Cadet Records 1969 a href Template Cite AV media notes html title Template Cite AV media notes cite AV media notes a CS1 maint others in cite AV media notes link a b Grogan Larry Richard Evans The Cadet Concept 10 of His Greatest cont F16zine Retrieved September 30 2015 Talevski Nick 1999 The Encyclopedia of Rock Obituaries London Omnibus Press p 65 ISBN 0 7119 7548 5 GRT Consolidated Chess Cadet Album Discography 1971 1975 Both Sides Now Publications Retrieved September 30 2015 Billboard Music Popularity Chart Department December 28 1968 Billboard Best Bets for Christmas Billboard p 57 Retrieved September 30 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Soulful Strings amp oldid 1121955261, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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