“My father was a jazz tenor sax player. He played in a lot of big bands. So I had that sound around me all the time. The first record that really caught my ear was Clifford Brown's 'Brownie Eyes.' I grew up listening to John Coltrane and Illinois Jacquet. This is where I come from... I love improvisational music.” FirstsBigsEyeFatherSoundRecordsPlayerListeningGrewBandGrew UpEarsJazzCaughtBrownIllinoisTenorsColtraneBrownies Author:Meshell Ndegeocello
“I grew in the inner city, listening to Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, James Brown, The Commodores - lots of soul music.” SoulCitiesWonderListeningGrewBrownInner CityMusic Soul Author:Stefon Harris
“I used to enjoy all the white bands when I was a kid listening to the radio. But the record companies, they take music and label it - like, they say "rock". Because the white singers can't sound like James Brown, they call him "soul". They've been doing that for years. That's the prejudice crap.” YearsSoulKidsUsedEnjoySoundWhiteCompanyRecordsRocksListeningBandPrejudiceRadioSingersLabelsBrownCrapRecord Companies Author:Miles Davis
“There are many influences in my music, not only blues. R&B, Motown, gospel, old timey, jazz, even classical are all part of what I do. I started with classical, then country, then blues, and after that I started listening heavily to Motown and gospel. My earliest efforts as a songwriter were soul. Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Wilson Pickett, Gladys Knight, James Brown, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and Fontella Bass are just a few of the names that come to mind as the God's of soul and Motown.” MindSoulCountryNamesEffortInfluenceListeningJazzBrownSongwritersKnightsBassFranklinWilsonOld TimeMarvinMotown Author:Rory Block
“My dream as a child was to play with a bass player like Ray Brown, who played with the Oscar Peterson Trio. The feeling I had listening to his work was almost carnal, so to actually play for him was earth-shattering for me.” ChildrenPlayFeelingsDreamEarthPlayerListeningBrownRaysOscarsBassShatteringBass PlayersTrios Author:Diana Krall
“I grew up in Deptford in south London, and at that time I used to wear toppers, loon pants and tonic suits from shops like Take 6 and Topman. I was a bit of a soul boy, but I had a very eclectic taste in music - I was into James Brown and Bowie; and I was the only kid in the neighbourhood who would also be listening to Chopin.” SoulKidsUsedBitsBoysListeningGrewTasteGrew UpSouthLondonSuitsShopsBrownPantsEclecticBowieNeighbourhoodsTaste In MusicEclectic StyleToppers Author:Gary Oldman