Soul Understated
Featuring Mavis 'SWAN' Poole
Led by vocalist extraordinaire Mavis ’SWAN’ Poole (Lauryn Hill, Prince) whose distinctive vocal sound recalls Erykah Badu and Esther Phillips, and powerful yet melodic drummer Jeremy ‘BEAN’ Clemons (who has performed with Gregory Porter, Burning Spear, Jennifer Holliday and more), Soul Understated delivers a beautifully performed organic sound with stellar musicianship.
The influences on their music are overwhelming and pleasurable all at once. With elements from EWF to Ella Fitzgerald, Donny Hathaway to Curtis Mayfield, and Sarah Vaughn to Count Basie, and even Hip-hop infused, their music spans across all genres.
…”Soul Understated is a skillful ensemble, adeptly and seemingly effortlessly weaving together soul, jazz, funk and gospel, like so many threads in a tapestry, and Ms. Poole does not miss a beat, adding scat and rap to the mix like the final spices in an excellent gumbo.”… Divastation.com
'Songs In The Key Of Grease', an E.P. featuring six original compositions, is Soul Understated's first nationally distributed release. The material ranges from the infectious funk of "Wibble Wobble" to the slinky Badu-esque neo-soul of "The Way I See" to the beautiful balladry of "Fantasy."
They’ve appeared at such major festivals as The Blue Note Jazz Fest, The Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest, the Toronto Jazz Festival and the Capital Jazz Super Cruise, while Swan appeared in the HBO series Vinyl. Nonetheless, Songs In the Key of Grease represents their true coming out!
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