It’s December 11, the 11th door is open on our Essential Advent Calendar, and Kelly Finnigan (singer/songwriter/producer of the soul band Monophonics) releases his new holiday-inspired soul album ‘A Joyful Sound’ via Colemine Records. All 11 of these new tracks were written or co-written by Kelly and hearken back to the golden age of soul, albeit with a positive holiday lean.
‘A Joyful Sound’ is a future soul classic with all the elements of a classic R&B record, but simply with a joyful holiday lean. With an all-star supporting cast of who’s who from the contemporary soul scene this record is truly a family affair with Kelly Finnigan at the wheel. Featuring members of Durand Jones & The Indications, The Dap-Kings, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Monophonics, Thee Sinseers, Orgone, Ikebe Shakedown, Jason Joshua & The Beholders, The True Loves, Neal Francis, Jungle Fire, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Ben Pirani, The Jive Turkeys, The Ironsides, The Harlem Gospel Travelers, Rudy De Anda, Alanna Royale, and more! Inspired by records like Atlantic’s Soul Christmas, Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift For You and Rotary Connection’s Peace, this album will appeal not only to lovers of holiday music, but lovers of SOUL music in general!
This is Kelly’s third full-album production in just under two years, including his debut LP, ‘The Tales People Tell’, and Monophonics’ most recent effort ‘It’s Only Us’. He is rapidly establishing himself as a key producer, songwriter, and performer in the current soul scene.
Kelly sheds a bit more light on the intent of this new holiday album:
“I want people to feel joy and hope. I want the music to remind them what they are thankful for. The songs and mood of the music should spark a feeling that it is a special time of year but also that it can also be a very difficult time for others. Holidays are about bringing people together to celebrate and I want this record to be a soundtrack for those celebrating but also a reminder that a lot of people are still struggling regardless if it’s Christmas or not.
Most Importantly, I want them to hear the love and passion that went into the music.
I’m lucky to have some incredible musicians and artist on the record and I hope they can hear the joy that everyone put into their performance. There’s a feeling of magic and nostalgia that lives in those classic Christmas songs and I believe I was able to capture some of that on this record. Christmas has become a grand event in most places in the world but we all have to remember that the reason this holiday is special for most is because it brings people together and reminds us that our friends and family are what’s most important.”
Kelley Finnigan’s ‘A Joyful Sound’ LP is out today December 11th on limited ‘Holly Berry Red’ & Black Vinyl, CD and digtial/streaming platforms via Colemine Records. Stream and download here.
Comments