The Souljazz Orchestra



The Souljazz Orchestra is a Canadian musical group based in Ottawa that has toured Canada, the United States and Europe. Their music is a fusion of soul, jazz, funk, afrobeat and Latin styles.

Members
The band has six members:
 * Pierre Chrétien - electric piano, clavinet, organ, guitar, bass, percussion, vocals
 * Marielle Rivard - percussion, vocals
 * Steve Patterson - tenor sax, percussion, vocals
 * Ray Murray - baritone sax, percussion, vocals
 * Zakari Frantz - alto sax, flute, percussion, vocals
 * Philippe Lafrenière - drums, percussion, vocals

Career
The band signed to London-based Strut Records, a UK record label that focuses on dance music and afrobeat. Other musicians signed to Strut include "Ethio-Jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke, Motown guitarist Dennis Coffey and Ghanaian highlife singer Ebo Taylor, to name a few."

According to AllMusic, the band's "overtly political 2006 single "Mista President," off second album Freedom No Go Die (Do Right!), really increased their audience, [as it was] voted to the number nine spot in the 2006 Top 30 of BBC DJ Gilles Peterson's Worldwide program.

In 2012, the band completed two US tours that included stops in cities such as Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Chicago.

Discography

 * Solidarity (Strut Records, 2012)
 * Rising Sun (Strut Records, 2010)
 * Manifesto (Do Right! Music, 2008)
 * Freedom No Go Die (Do Right! Music, 2007)
 * Uprooted (Funk Manchu Records, 2005)