Per alcuni artisti, l'ambiente dello studio è la kryptonite. Non importa quanto possano essere forti la loro visione artistica e le loro capacità, i risultati dei loro album in studio suonano neutri rispetto alle loro esibizioni dal vivo. Questo è il caso qui.

…This record hits you but in a good way. It is relaxed yet clear with it’s message…

A very hip step for this tight Chicago group – as they take their already-righteous sound, and open the door for singer Dee Alexander…

…Fournier’s gifts as a lyricist should be emphasized. This disc brings back memories of the days when we’d purchase a soul or pop album to be inspired by the accessible yet challenging musicianship we knew we’d find, then open the gatefold and read along, equally inspired by the poetry of the lyrics. Yes, “Nothing Good Ever Goes Away”—and some good things deserve to be brought back to stay.

…A wild and wooly set that sneaks some message into the sound, doing so without hitting you in the head with it, this is damn smart music for the times. Hard hitting stuff that really delivers the goods.

One of my sayings is ‘To thine own self be true’ and as much as we hope that some people will ‘get it’, it may be just a small handful will “get it”. But somebody will ‘get it’.

…its melodic power and stylish group dynamics are what make the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective a prime portal for listeners who don’t limit their music by category but are driven simply by the groove.

The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective, co-led by saxophonist John Fournier and trumpeter Marques Carroll, team up with vocalist Dee Alexander on their third album, On the Way To Be Free. Released on April 13, they record nine hopeful and uplifting compositions imbued with the fight for freedom and a search for solace, eight of which were composed by Fournier.

“The Chicago Jazz Collective is a performing soul-jazz band that thrives on audience interaction.”

Take a Sunday drive to the Time Out Market for a variety of delicious brunch dishes. Everything from shrimp and smoked pork to a stack of buttermilk pancakes. Order as much as you want, grab a mimosa pitcher, and enjoy the tunes courtesy of Chicago Soul Jazz Collective.

This talented and storied Chicago institution welcomes one of Chicago’s most gifted and respected female singers...

“With On the Way to Be Free, the CSJC takes another giant step, showcasing the irresistible force named Dee Alexander on a program of evocative, top-notch compositions – an album that slots them firmly in the here and now without losing sight of their stylistic ancestry.”

“…They aren’t playing kids’ games…”

“Though assembled from veterans of Chicago’s thriving jazz and soul scenes, the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective has a much more focused mission than the Jazz All Stars. The band’s third album On the Way to Be Free states it most plainly in the title track. “I want my freedom!” asserts guest vocalist and AACM trouper Dee Alexander, and the rest of the record makes sure she gets it…”

“The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective with the city’s own grand dame of jazz Dee Alexander waste no time in rousing us with the opening track “Mama Are We There Yet?” from the band’s third album, sustaining the bristling energy throughout On the Way to Be Free…Together they build a vibrant bridge between the classic era of soul jazz and a fresh approach that keeps this music so timeless.”

“On the Way to Be Free is a deeply funky album, dripping with soul. Everything about this album feels like the best that Jazz in the 70’s had to offer, with the texture and feel of Freddie Hubbard’s, Joe Henderson’s or Gil Scott-Heron’s early to mid-70’s output. And much like on their last album, this all-original program holds its own with nearly anything coming out of New York, Los Angeles or London at this point in 2022.”

“The name of this band tells you what you need to know about its purpose and history. Chicago, where Louis Armstrong moved to make his first records, is also the birthplace of gospel music, which gave rise to its secular cousin, soul; and few cities grooved harder to the post-bop soul-jazz revolution of the 1950s and ‘60s than Chicago. Decades later, here comes the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective, co-led by saxophonist John Fournier and trumpeter Marques Carroll, doubling down on this storied jazz idiom and hitting pay dirt for a new century…”

“Luscious, pin-drop music. Every word, consonant, and vowel, lovingly, fully endowed. A casual, slip-and-slide coming together, spontaneous combustion before the big bang. Big bang, big band crackle-popping in a sync-groove, slightly off-set toward the sweetly harmonic dissonance of something this way comes…jazz at its most populace-pleasing…”