The Olympians

The Olympians function as an instrumental retro-soul ensemble under the direction of Toby Pazner. This writer, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose prior credits include work alongside El Michels Affair, Menahan Street Band, and the Expressions, assembled a wide circle of kindred musicians operating within the same vintage-modern R&B sphere. The musicians appearing on the group’s initial pair of 7" singles for Truth & Soul (2008-2009) and on its self-titled Daptone debut (2016) shared considerable personnel with the Dap-Kings, the Budos Band, the Arcs, and Antibalas. On the full-length release Pazner collaborated on every composition, receiving additional contributions from as many as five co-writers. The resulting collection of concise, economical instrumentals clearly drew from the traditions associated with Philadelphia International, Cadet, Motown, Stax, and Hi.