Slim Moore & The Mar-Kays

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I’ve been digging their music from the moment I heard it. Let me introduce you to the Souljazz Orchestra‘s brand new project: ‘Slim Moore and The Mar-Kays’. This time, the Souljazz crew combines his talent with Jamaican-Canadian singer Slim Moore along with the One Faith Gospel singers.
The result is outstanding as the band brings you that authentic soul and funk sound from the ’70s. Check out their excellent cover of Syl Johnson’s classic ‘Is It Because I’m Black’. ‘Introducing Slim Moore and the Mar-Kays’ is an album that I will keep in heavy rotation for a long, long time…
Spread the word! :)

The record release tour will start on October 13th in Ottawa (CA). Don’t miss them!! (the complete list of confirmed dates can be found here).

Interview answered by Thibeaux Toussaint.

Which ice cream flavor(s) do you like the most?

That’s hilarious… OK, I asked some of the others, I didn’t get everyone though…

Slim: Pralines and Cream
Mary: Pear Gelato
Thibeaux: Fresh Lemon

What is your last or upcoming project about?

Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays’ debut album is made up of deep, gritty, orchestral soul music.
Lyrically it deals with various subjects: love lost, love found, poverty, racism, war, spirituality… Sounds heavy, but I don’t think it comes off that way on the record.

How do you make music? Any specific workflow or methods?

With Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays, Slim and I write most of the songs together. I’ll usually come up with the chords and melody, and some ideas for lyrics, and then Slim’ll add his own personal experiences and vocal phrasings into the tune.
Once we have the gist of the song down, I’ll write up charts for the other players, and then it usually comes together pretty quick from there.

How do you make a living?

I’m a full-time professional musician, and most of us are too. Some of the other guys also take on other jobs to help supplement their income: Slim sometimes works in landscaping or construction, Arland works in a restaurant kitchen, Matt teaches sax, Nicholas teaches trumpet…
It’s hard, most of us live below the poverty line, but it’s a calling, I don’t think we could not play music.

How do you feel about people sharing your music?

It’s frustrating… We sometimes have trouble paying our rent and bills, and then we find out thousands of rich kids with fancy computers are stealing our music. :-)

Who was your musical hero[in]s when you were a kid?

I can’t speak for everyone else… My musical heroes were guys like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Jimmy Smith, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown… Those are the early, serious ones, I guess when I was about 11-12.

What musical genre do you love but would never make yourself?

Hmmm… I love hip-hop, especially the old school 1980s and 1990s stuff, but man I couldn’t see myself rip it up on the mic myself… :-)

Which artists are you following at the moment?

Some of my favourite current artists are Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, Raphael Saadiq, YAW, Build An Ark, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Quantic…

*Is It Because I’m Black*

The dark brown shades of my skin
Only add color to my tears
That splash against my hollow bones
That really rock my soul
Looking back over my false dreams that I once knew
Wondering why my dreams never came true

Is it because I’m black, somebody tell me what I am supposed to do
Something must be holding me back
Is it because I’m black

In this world of no pitty
I was raised in the ghetto of the city
Mama, she worked so hard to earn every penny
Something must be holding me back
Is it because I’m black

Like a child stealing his first piece of candy and got caught
People around life’s corner somewhere I got lost
Something must be holding me back
Somebody tell me is it because I’m black

I’m sick and tired of paying dues
I’m sick and tired of being used
Nothing’s gonna hold me back no more
Step aside
I’m coming through
It’s my time
It’s my time

*How Long*

Don’t know when I’ll see you again
And you know that ain’t easy
Don’t know when you’ll come back again
And it driving, driving me crazy

How long how long baby you gonna making me wait
How long how long baby time keeps wasting away

How long (how long)
How long (how long)
How long (how long) baby tell me how long

You know I’ve been loving you for so long now
And I don’t know what to think
When I Look in your eyes and I don’t see me
It blows my mind

Never thought our love so deep
Can’t get you out of my head
I can’t eat, I can’t sleep
Keep thinking about what you said

How long how long baby you gonna making me wait
how long how long baby time keeps wasting away

How long (how long)
how long (how long)
how long (how long) tell me how long

So you know open your heart baby and just let me in
Let me come back to you
I’m a make it alright

I’ve been down, down so long
Now I’m really starting to hate it
Why can’t we just get along
Why is this so complicated

How long how long baby you gonna making me wait
how long how long baby time keeps wasting away

How long (how long)
How long (how long)
How long (how long) baby tell me how long

Don’t you know I know you still love me
Yeah I know you still love me