The Soulful Strings
Paint It Black (1966)
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"The Soulful Strings-Paint It Black -1966 US":
The Chicago-based Soulful Strings could be lumped into the many mainstream opportunists who adapted popular hits songs of the 1960s and early 1970s to orchestral and string arrangements.
Cadet producer Esmond Edmunds and arranger-conductor Richard Evans were interested in exploring the intersection of a soulful Chicago jazz band and a full string section.
At the time of The Soulful Strings' creation, Evans was already an experienced bassist and arranger, having worked with Ramsey Lewis, Kenny Burrell and others. The Soulful Strings albums were populated by the cream of Chicago's jazz and soul scene, including Charles Stepney, Lenard Druss, Bunky Green, Phil Upchurch, and many others.
Their debut album "Paint it Black" is one of the better albums by this great Chicago soul studio group. The great Richard Evans is still at the head of The Strings, and the album features solo work by Charles Stepney and Lennie Druss, in a cool breezy Chess/Cadet soul jazz kind of mode. The group runs through jazz standards like "Take Five" and "Sidewinder", plus some rock and soul tracks like "Sunny", "Eight Miles High", "Lover's Concerto"," California Dreamin'" and "Paint It Black".
A bit funky, a bit groovy, and some nice instrumental tracks from the legendary Cadet studios.
01) Paint It Black 05:40
02) California Dreamin' 02:33
03) Message to Michael 03:05
04) Wade in the Water 03:28
05) Love is a Hurtin' Thing 02:41
06) Sunny 03:03
07) When a Man Loves a Woman 02:33
08) Eight Miles High 02:40
09) Take Five 02:57
10) The Sidewinder 03:14
11) A Lover's Concerto 02:37
