Every Once in a While we all Need a Little California Soul

California Soul

I don't tend to rave much about California. It's a nice place to visit, wouldn't wanna live there. You've all heard me say it before.



But hey, what do I know? I moved to Washington, D.C. to find people who were more in touch with reality and could see the forest for the trees. And what did I get? A bunch of over-educated folks who know more than anyone else, but who are so busy with their lives they don't have time to feel or get in touch with their soul.

So, today, I bring you "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw who seems to be having something of a come back on Spotify, which has been playing her back-catalogue on my "Waltz for Koop" station. One forgets just how exceptional this low-profile Blue Note artist's work is (She's still recording, believe it or not.)

And frankly, ever since we lost Fontella Bass last year, I;ve been feeling the need to recognize the other, extraordinary backup singers, low-profile artists who didn't bask in the fame and glory that Diana, Martha, and the many others did. But these singers took a terrific place in the pantheon of new music pros who sampled and rediscovered these artists, like The Cinematic Orchestra who repurposed these voices for the sounds of the early 21st century. From "Rescue Me" to "All That you Give," California Soul takes you back to where we should be, even if we are living in D.C.