Soul Music

Frank Fitzpatrick 03/01/2018

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Growing up in Detroit in the heart of the Motown era, great R&B and Soul music were a natural part of my childhood diet. From Stevie Wonder, to Aretha Franklyn, to the Tempations, to a young Michael Jackson leading one of the original hit boy bands: The Jackson 5.

Later in my musical career, during an interview, the host asked me what signature, or common thread, I brought to my own music – the songs and film scores I composed and produced. Being involved in so many genres – from Hip Hop to Classical, I had to take pause to think about it. She used that pause to offer a clue “everything I’ve heard of yours is so soulful.”

Yes. She hit it on the nose. I try to bring my sense of Soul to all the music, and other works, I produce. It is not so much that I try to do so, actually. When I get out of the way, it is what comes through me.

In my creative core, I’ll always love how great soul music is at once liberating and heartfelt, embodied and fully expressed – like great gospel music that has broken through the walls of the church.

Music, like breath, is a life force – a rich source of joy and a essential part of my spiritual being. My aspiration is to always bring a little of my own authentic soul, and touch a few hearts along the way, with my music.

This past week, I had the opportunity to hear 2 great soul singers: My contemporary and collaborator, Anthony Hamilton, and the legendary Charlie Wilson (aka: Uncle Charlie and former lead singer for the Gap Band). Joyful and liberating would be good descriptions of both soul-stirring events. If you don’t want to take my word for it, you could probably asks my girlfriend or any of the audience members who spent the majority of the concerts grinning, singing, swaying or dancing.

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If you want to listen to a little taste of Soul, take a listen to Grammy-nominated song and the title track I wrote for Anthony Hamilton and the film Soul Men (Samuel Jackson, Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes). Jackson and Mac played by a singing duo from the Stax Records era (circa late 60’s) aka Sam and Dave. This was penned to be one of their “hits”.