Review of Soul Majestic show at SOhO, Santa Barbara 6/5/09. Originally published here
Jeff Moehlis: Soul Majestic Sings From the Soul at SoHo
In case you’ve been living in a cave for the past nine months, things are tough right now. Unemployment is hovering around 10 percent, and many people are losing their houses because they can’t make their mortgage payments. People who want to retire can’t because their 401(k)s have lost half or more of their value. Many sons and daughters — and fathers and mothers — are in harm’s way in Iraq or Afghanistan.
There are different ways to respond to challenges and hardship. Let me suggest the path taken by Soul Majestic, which celebrated the release of its third CD, Better World, on Friday night at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, and joyfully sings, “Music makes me feel good in times when the whole world comes down on me” on its new song “Feels Good.”
Its challenge? Most notably, singer Oriana Sanders was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma during the recording of the new album. Fortunately, it was caught early, and treatment was successful. Still, it must have been a scary experience for her, especially as a mother.
During the ordeal, Sanders and her husband, (plus co-singer and melodica player — I especially like his melodica-quote of War’s “Low Rider” during the show) Eric Iverson, found strength through their music. It comes through in the songs on the new album, including the aforementioned “Feels Good” and “I Rise,” a moving personal account of Sanders’ experience with cancer in which she triumphantly sings “from the struggle I rise.”
Better World was largely recorded in Santa Cruz, but one song — “Rough n’ Tuff” — features drum and bass recorded in Jamaica by legendary duo Sly and Robbie. Iverson told me they hooked up with Sly and Robbie at the Ragga Muffins Festival in Long Beach when he barged his way through the backstage dressing room and told them the band was planning to record its second album in Jamaica, and Robbie encouraged Iverson to call him when they arrived.
This lead to “Elder Voice” from its 2004 album Until That Day, and the drums and bass recording that turned into “Rough n’ Tuff.” Iverson and Sanders admit they “felt somewhat intimidated” working with Sly and Robbie — who have contributed to an estimated 200,000 songs by artists including Bob Dylan, Peter Tosh, Serge Gainsbourg, Jimmy Cliff and The Rolling Stones — but ultimately felt “honored to work with them.”
The new album, which also features vocal contributions from northern California reggae artists Tony Moses and Luv Fyah, and Trinidad singer Queen Omega, is a polished set of songs that bring subtle influences of hip hop and R&B into a classic reggae sound. Indeed, percussionist (and sometimes vocalist) Brian Jarvis notes that they “branched out” on the new album, and “tried some other flavors, mixing in some other vibes with the reggae.” The guest artists add to the variety, but ultimately, it is the mix and match of strong vocals by Iverson and Sanders, and tight playing by the rest of the band, that keeps the album humming.
The SOhO show kicked off with a cover of Bob Marley’s “Punky Reggae Party,” which led into the title song from the album Until That Day and that urges the listener to “stand up / hold your head up high / stand up / find the strength inside.”
From the start, the crowd danced and grooved along. Next came “Feel Good,” the first of several songs from the new album including the “lover’s groove” called “Tonight,” and, leading off the encore, the title track “Better World” from the new album. The latter morphed into a cover of Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry,” which reassures the listener that “everything’s gonna be all right!”
The SOhO show was a bit of a homecoming for Iverson, who was born and raised in Santa Barbara before moving to Santa Cruz, where he met Sanders, and recently moving back to be near family. Jarvis and guitarist David Lyons also have Santa Barbara connections. The former went to SBCC, and the latter was born and raised here.
Whether you made it to the show or not, I encourage you to pick up Soul Majestic’s new CD, Better World, for good-time reggae grooves that might even give you strength to overcome some of life’s challenges.
— Noozhawk contributor Jeff Moehlis is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at UCSB.
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