The Soul of John Black

This American group was formed specifically to showcase the songwriting and musicianship of percussionist John Bigham and bassist Christopher Thomas, both born in the USA. Bigham contributed to Miles Davis’s projects during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band’s old-school funk tracks emphasize a driving swing, remaining largely soulful and straightforward in form while executed with notable technical precision. Conceived as a personal endeavor, Bigham and Thomas expanded their lineup when recording their first album, issued in 2003. Among the supplementary players were drummer Oliver Charles, keyboardist Keith ‘Keefus’ Ciancia, and saxophonist Tracy Wanname, together with various other instrumentalists and vocalists. Although the two principals developed a distinctive sonic identity, echoes of numerous artists from the soul-leaning side of the pop-rock spectrum surface throughout their work.