Ari Lennox with J. Cole is number one on this weeks Soul Connoisseurs Chart, check out the chart each week as compiled by Global Soul.

SOUL WEEKENDER ‘DAY 2’: SOUL CONNOISSEURS CHART

We wanted to come up with some fresher soul material to compliment our vintage soul playlist of Funking Good Floor Fillers, and make up the perfect soul weekender. We didn’t have to look too far.

By sweet coincidence, I had recently bumped into an old music pal Jon Mansfield - a known Soul aficionado. Indeed, we caught up at the film launch of ‘Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me’ (which indeed inspired our Dark & Stormy Vintage Edition) where Jon was DJing at the afterparty. Turns out that for some time, Jon and his team at Global Soul have been working to establish an entire new cultural brand around soul, including a weekly chart: Soul Connoisseurs Chart. The chart is compiled by Franklin Sinclair, through a meta-analysis of airplay on multiple weekly soul radio shows, CD and vinyl sales (if applicable), plus positions in the Amazon Top 100 R&B/Soul chart. Their purpose is to highlight all the latest soul tracks of note in a digital world where the sheer volume of music out there can become overwhelming for listeners. On the other hand, it is harder than ever for artists to gain cut through and reach their audience, so we support innovative new music brands that double-down on certain genres as Global Soul does. As well as the Connoisseurs Chart, the team is committed to supporting and promoting independent artists whether that be to help launch their career or build upon their existing fan base.

So, rather than muck about with a genre we only vaguely understand when we’re drinking too much rum and ginger beer, we simply thought it might be nice to introduce our soul fans to the SCC via a playlist post and link to the Global Soul’s own web presence, which includes a prominent channel on Mixcloud - a rum lot who happen to also be very good friends of ours.

You can discover more about Global Soul and follow the chart on Spotify or via Soundsgood.co.

The Song Sommelier’s Dark & Stormy Soul series will be back as soon as the storm clouds gather on the horizon.