Soul Satisfaction
By Melissa Riddle, Senior Content Strategist, GospelMusicChannel.com
Let’s just go ahead and say it up front: there’s a lot of hype out there. There’s always been a lot of hype, much of which is generated by long-suffering publicists working way too hard for too little money. But every now and then, an artist or a band comes along that simply shatters the hype with its own mind-blowing reality.
Self-professed music geeks who cut their musical teeth in clubs and music halls around the globe, Newworldson is that band. This Canadian funk/soul/blues/jazz/gospel hybrid packs more power in four instruments than most five- or six-man bands can boast. Joel Parisien (vocals, keys), Josh Toal (guitar, vocals), Rich Moore (bass, vocals) and Mark Rogers (drums) have managed what so few bands even imagine, something that’s never been done before in Christian music: fusing the soul roots of Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, and Donnie Hathaway with unapologetic, spirit-filled lyrics, while simultaneously injecting a huge shot of fun.
“Growing up, I never heard pop music,” Parisien says. “My dad played jazz, soul and R&B, so that was the music that spoke to me. In fact, if you looked at any of our CD collections, you’d find very few modern records. Most everything is 40 or 50 years old…As a singer/songwriter, you want to express what’s on your heart, so you’ve gotta find a language for it. This is the language we know how to speak.”
So after years of playing in clubs, with professional frustrations escalating and a growing desire, individually, to use their gifts to serve God and lift people up, Rogers invited Parisien to play some gospel music in a jazz venue. Parisien knew Toal, and Toal knew Moore. And so, without any rehearsal to speak of, they began to play. Loud. Long. With great fervor and excellence. And people began to respond.
Whether at Canada’s largest jazz festival or opening for James Brown or Morris Day or for Newsboys and Casting Crowns, Newworldson takes its distinctive sound and driving passion to the masses with the simple goal of letting the Spirit have His day.
“We’re not evangelists,” Parisien says, “but the Spirit shows up every time we play, and I believe there’s a lot of power in that. When you usher in the Spirit, it’s not just a feel-good thing. It impacts lives. So regardless of the venue or he audience, we always pray that the Spirit will come. When we leave, we let the Spirit do his work. We’re not Billy Graham, but we know that the word doesn’t come back void. It could take years in each listener’s life to take hold, but we have faith that one encounter with the Spirit of God can turn a life around.”
“We weren’t looking to be in this place,” guitarist Josh Toal says of the band’s unique opportunity to be salt and light in the world. “We just keep walking through the doors He’s opening. I think that’s one of the reasons God has us here, to be transparent and available to talk to people. Beyond our work with Compassion International, that’s the most important thing.”
