Marco Paul is a composer, multi-instrumentalist and audiovisual artist who, despite having a fifteen year career in music, has only just hit my radar. His latest project is the Soul Train Trio for which he’s joined by Nicolas Silveira and Jaime Aldaraca Ferraro. Together, they have just released their self-titled debut album which introduces us to their world of soul, jazz and funk.

By Graeme Smith

The album opens with the funky, isolated bass line of Dumbo. The track quickly settles into a jazzy groove with twinkling keys and Nicolas’s gentle percussion before soulful baritone sax, courtesy of Jaime, comes in. It’s a piece that calmly welcomes you into the album’s world, and suggests you put your feet up.

Ginekara Mou is a lowdown and moody piece that transports you to a smoky club somewhere in Europe. The expressive vocals and romantic lyrics are a nice addition. Bugambilia is big and bombastic. It canters along with a sense of urgency. The whimsically-titled Enter The Kitten, by contrast, provides a moment of psychedelic playfulness at the heart of the album.

The Art of Hunger is an eleven and a half minute slow burner that trots along at a pleasing pace and meditates on the nature of relationships and solitude. Ain’t No Jazz gives us a delicately classic and lively vignette before Tierra del Sol closes the album with an airy, lilting and contemplative moment.

A lot of people get put off by the word ‘jazz’ when they’re choosing what to listen to, but I’d implore those people to give Soul Train Trio a go. This collection is wonderfully accessible without losing any of challenging composition that comes with the genre. Its seven tracks give a satisfying montage of different styles so that there should be something for everyone on it.

You can listen to Soul Train Trio below.