 why a smooth jazz connection. I am your host, Wendell and Harris. My guest today hails from Jacksonville, Florida and is an award winning musician, songwriter and producer. He has a graduate of Berkeley College of Music and he has a protege of the late Nick Coleone. He has played with Mike Stern, the late Nick Coleone and Elon Trottern just to name a few. This young man has an amazing and bright future in music. And I am so excited to have him here today with me, here with me today. Please welcome Mr. Willie Soul to the show. Aloha, Willie, how are you? Aloha, Gwen. It is wonderful to be here and I am doing wonderful. What about you? I am hanging in there. I am hanging in there. As we spoke earlier, you know, I'm getting over a bit of a cold after being out of town. But you know what? We're gonna make this work. We're gonna make it work. We're gonna make it work. We're gonna get through it. We are going to make this work. Now, I wanna tell my audience. I first, you know, I heard about this young man through two of, well, my business partners now, but two of my mutual friends. And you know, Mr. Roshan O'Dell and Mr. Jesse J. T. Jack Thompson, right? So I heard about this young man and they were just bragging on him and he played with them at a show in Buffalo, New York. And I was like, well, I can't wait to hear. Well, I got to hear him about three weeks ago now. Right. When you played at Jesse's CD release. And when I tell you this young man is amazing, OMG. What I need you to tell the audience is, how did you get your start in music? I know you started at a very young age. So long. Well, you know, most don't know music in general, how I started was, you know, I really, guitar really wasn't my first instrument. Drums was, and that was like at a very, very early age, you know, just been kind of, like most musicians or artists kind of born into music, most males per se. I don't know what it is about the drums that they're drawn into. I think it's just beating on things. I think. But obviously, rhythmic and beating, you know, and, you know, with the drums, that was something I first fell in love with. My mom bought me, you know, the drum set, the toy drum set. And I was, you know, playing that at an early age. And we had this thing in Jacksonville that is no longer here called Jacksonville Landed, set right on the water. And bands would pull up, boats would pull up, people would play. This was every weekend. I would go out there with my Fisher Price drum set. I would play. And at the time, I guess people just found that. I don't know. But what they did was they would tip me at an early age. I mean, this was before seven years old, they would drop, you know, cook dollars, quarters there as I would be playing the drums. So that was kind of like my stark into music. But I bring me on up to speed, you know, after that. I kind of diverted in doubt because we just talking about music, you know, you want to know how I got my start into music. So, of course, I was still, you know, always wanting to play the drums, always wanting to play the drums. And I remember just like, again, like most musicians, you know, especially African-American as well. We grew up in the church, you know? And I never forget my father telling me, he was like, son, everybody want to play the drums. All the males want to play the drums. So in the church, you know, all the boys would cover their drums, dig, sit up front. He said, man, you gonna be sitting that line forever, you know, kind of like that. And then, you know, I never forget, you know, elementary school, I kind of diverted in doubt with the trumpet. And that was, you know, kind of my middle, well, no, let me back up. My elementary school years kind of diverted in doubt with the trumpet. And around that time, that's when I started messing around with the guitar. Like, you know, I would see a guitar, never forget, it was always interesting. I'd pick it up, play that thing, and I wouldn't play it with a pick, man. I'd be playing it with my fingers, get blisters all in my finger. My dad had an acoustic guitar. I would mess with his, get blisters all on my fingers and, you know. And then, you know, around that time, I never forget, not sure, cause they kind of slowly fading away. There's a store called JCPenney. And I'd never forget for one of my birthdays, around seven or eight, my dad bought me my first guitar. And it came with, it's kind of like that start. It came with the amp, the harmony amp and the harmony guitar. And I ended up getting private lessons. And, you know, around seven or eight, that's when I first started playing guitar. And that was kind of the kickoff. You know, I would stop right there cause I could keep rolling, but I want to, you know, keep that conversation going back and forth. So, you know, I kind of brought you all the way from the beginning on up to how I first started playing guitar. It will take off from there later. Oh, okay. Well, you know, thank you for that. You know, I just enjoy listening to you speak. I really do. And I told you that. So what type of music did you listen to in the household? Well, honestly, it's kind of funny though. At an early age, man, I was listening to the, what are the first guys that I remember listening to at an early age? It's funny now cause I'm just thinking how young I was, but I remember BB King, that was my cat. That was my guy, you know, at an early age. And this was the time, of course, I remember it wasn't on DVD, it was on VHS. And this was the young BB King I was listening to. He was standing up, had a Jerry curl, you know, then of course, you know, from there, that's when I got hip to George Benson. That's when I got hip to Norman Brown. So then, you know, it was that. Plus, you know, I ride in the car with my dad and I never forget this one, Barry White. So I'm listening to Barry White. Now I'm digging his old school music, but it's like a full orchestra behind it. So I'm like digging that, you know, the strings and all of that stuff. Then, you know, next thing I know, my daddy got some of the spinners, you know, I'm listening to that kind of stuff. And, you know, everything I'm telling you, at an early age, it was just kind of embedded in me, that Marvin Gaye and the James Brown. But, you know, the first thing that came to my mind was BB King to be quite honest with you. You know, he wore those blazers and the bow tie with the cummerbund. And I mean, he was killing Lucille back then, you know. And like I say, from there, you know, I would hear George Benson and I remember getting that DVD and listening to Norman Brown. So it was kind of, it's just crazy kind of now to think about it, because you don't think about it then. You know what your parents are really trying to do. You just kind of listening at the time, but you don't know they kind of trying to feed it to you. You know what I'm saying? Slowly, but surely. So, you know, I mean, I kind of had that mixture and I'm kind of about to jump the gun, but we're gonna get to the whole really soul thing and this mixture. And that's, you know, just as I'm talking, that's where I'm kind of, you know, and it's coming to my memory. Like, that's where I guess it all started to be quite honest. So now you said what I just said was I went from blues to George Benson. I mean, he almost, he could play straight ahead jazz. He could play R&B. He could play, I mean, he could even blues George Benson can. He got Norman Brown, smooth jazz. Then I started talking about Barry White. I mean, that's straight up old school R&B. Then I started talking about what, the spinners, that's R&B, Marvin Gaye, you know, R&B. Then you got James Brown, the funk. So now just think about all that, you know, I'ma just leave that there for a minute. Just think about all that that was embedded in me at an early age, you know? Yes, yes, most definitely. And so people have not heard you play yet. They're gonna hear you playing just in a little bit. But you are deemed as the late Nick Coleone's protege. And when I heard you play a few weeks ago, I was like, yes, yes. Now I wanna read something. I'm gonna read you a quote or, you know, a quote that Nick Coleone said about you. And this is a published quote, all right? So everybody can read it. And it says, I was impressed with him from the beginning when I heard him play the guitar. His approach to the guitar and his musical, musical vocabulary is vast for his age. There are a lot of young guitarists coming out. But I think Soul has the thing that it takes, that it takes to go all the way and be a real force in whatever genre he decides he wants to play. Soul has the ability to play a lot of different styles. He will not be stuck in one thing because he has the chops to cross over and adapt to whatever the situation. Soul has the juice, the stuff which makes the grapes. Yeah. And I know you were very close to him. So what was it like working with him? Well, you know, it's kind of funny. I was just thinking about like, it's just crazy, you know, having this conversation and conversing with you, you kind of get to reminisce, talk about certain things. And I mean, this is, you know, obviously this interview is no, oh, I'm trying to paint a false picture. This is real, you know? This was like thinking about everything and how it's coming together and, you know, thinking about the, but listening to that quote, it brings back memories on conversations of, just kind of when I was trying to get in the game, but, you know, I was trying to figure this whole thing out. Like, you know, everybody would call him on. I'd be like, man, you know, I'm trying to fit into this smooth jazz thing, but I'm really not in, you know, I want to sing in, but, you know, a lot of smooth jazz don't have. And he would be like, well, you know, you got to figure out what you want to do. And it's just, you know, listening to that quote on, he could fit whatever genre he decides or he has many styles. You know, then I just was like, I was just thankful that he said that about me, but now it all makes sense, you know, just based on what I just told you previously about, you know, what I was listening to at an early age. And, you know, he would tell me, he'd be like, well, you know, a quiet storm has this or if you're going to do that, it's got this. And, you know, and for a while it was just like, man, I really got to figure out what box I'm going to fit in, you know? And I knew it was always this jazz thing, but it was like, you know, at the end of the day, I think what it really came down to, I'm his protege and that's my mentor, but I'll never ever be able to be him, you know? I can be me influenced by him, or, you know, I can never try to be anybody else in the smooth jazz, you know, genre. I can only be myself, but working with him, it was just like, man, first of all, everybody know just style, you know, just his presence. Like when he walked in, he demanded the room. So when I touch down wherever I am, that's the first thing, you know, my image and presentation is everything before I even pick up the guitar. So, you know, it's just, it's demanding that stage, you know? And I'm laughing because I'm just thinking about something somebody said after one of the shows, but, you know, it's not an arrogance, but it's a demand, it's just a demand that you put on. Like, hey, I'm here, it's showtime. And that's just, I remember, you know, just before shows, walking with him out the hotel room, he just had that walk hand be in his pocket. Like, just before he even hit the stage, everybody like, there go the man, that's the man right there, you know? And, you know, before the shows, if you're like, what soup should I wear? And I'd be like, matter of fact, on the last time before he played, I was like, yo, what the last time I seen him? And I was like, man, what an orange one. He's like, what an orange one? Yeah, I'm a what an orange one, you know? And it's just like, you know, that style, it's just gonna be, that's the first thing, you know? And just being true to yourself. And, you know, it was just, I learned a lot of things through conversation, especially when I got into recording. He would always be the first one, I'd be like, hey, what you think about this? He'd be like, man, that's hot, man, I'm so proud of you, or man, turn this down, turn that down. This song is about you, it's not about that person. So it took me a while to get into recording, but that was the first, because I mean, he was a recording artist, and like, he got in smooth jazz. So I knew he knew what the sound was that they're looking for, you know? So on the terms of recording, stage presence, image, you know, demanding the stage, you know, all of those things, it was just, those were the things that I learned. And, you know, just being in this presence, I just admire how he dealt with people. I told him, I said, man, listen, you don't get tired of saying, thank you so much. I mean, I walked with him, I don't tell him, I don't know how many times he was like, thank you so much, thank you so much. He was like, man, I should just get a assignment and wear it around my neck and say, thank you so much. Like, because I mean, you know, when he's festivals and stuff going on, you know, of course he still had to be there, even though if he ain't playing. So we walking around, but people just talking about how good show is, and when you come in here, and when you come in, like, man, you don't get tired of talking to people, but you just have to, you know what I mean? You gotta, you gotta, you know, be a fan, you know, be a artist that the fans love. I should say that, you know? I learned all that from him and just life in general. Well, you have, because, you know, we're running short on time, but you have three singles out. The first one is What's Going On. Your next one was Please Come Home for Christmas. And your latest one is entitled Willys Group. Just tell us really quickly, what was the mindset behind Willys Group? Man, so Willys Group, so that was my first original, right? So I knew my first original, I knew it had to be quote unquote, I'm gonna use this word, a banger. So, but I wanted it to be different. I was like, man, look, you know, it's gotta be able to fit me. I'm young, you know? I'm 26 and, you know, but jazz is a mature genre, it's a mature, but the question that came to me, how can I get people my age, those that are mature, that love jazz, those that, you know, how can I make it all come together personally? And so I took those ideas and I, you know, I was like, man, it's gotta fit soul. It's gotta be all of that, you know? Like when I perform, I mean, it's got to be able to grab everybody. So when I say everybody, what I mean by that is, the grandmother, the mother and the daughter, the grand, you know, son, the father and the grand, you know, everybody needs to be able to enjoy this too. So, you know, I took that idea and, you know, me and the producer, we went back and forth, back and forth about this for a long time, you know? And that's normally how I'd be, you know? This person like this, I don't like, he like, you know? And we finally came to a conclusion on it. And, but that's how that came apart. You know, I just wanted it to be different, but I wanted it to be something that everybody enjoyed, you know? Well, can you give us, cause we're running, you know, our time is going quickly. And I told you, our time is going to go quickly. So, can you, of course, we have to do a part two with you, but can you just give us a little snippet of what you can do with a guitar? I want to do my best. Just a little bit, just a little, you know, couple minutes, you know? Oh. It's my time up, or can I keep going? I wish you were here. There are questions that I have to ask you, that I would like to ask you. Yeah. And the first one is, what would you give, what advice would you give a new artist coming into the industry? And I need you to be, you know, kind of short. Yeah. The first thing that came to my mind is love what you do. If you love what you do, it's, let's say this, it's hard. You know, it's a rough genre out here. You know, it's, well, let's not just say genre. It's a rough industry out here. And you don't want to quit sometimes. It's going to get hard sometimes. You'll cry sometimes. You're going to question it sometimes. But I think if you always remember why you're doing what you're doing, I think it'll always bring back some strength and some encouragement because you love what you do. But on top of that, based off our conversation and you know, I never really called it. Well, to some people I called them my mentor, but I always called them my OG. That was my OG. You know, I always think that you need somebody in the game or in the industry that you can talk to, that you can call and be like, hey, what do you think about this? What do I need to do about this? What did you do when you were coming up? You know, you need somebody to bounce the ideas off of and get encouragement and feedback. So you need a mentor or like I call them, you know, an OG, somebody that's been in the game, in the industry. And, you know, they are an honest individual that's not going to steer you wrong just because they got the hype in the cloud. That a lot of times just got to make sure they're a positive individual. Wow, stop right there. Wow, wow, wow. So and that's so true. Everything you said is true. And I haven't had other artists to say the same thing. Now, what I want to know, first of all, is are you going to be willing to come back for a part two for me? Oh, yeah, absolutely. And you're going to play some more. But the next question I want, I want you to say what do you have going on? What should I mark on my calendar? Well, coming up soon and very soon in Jacksonville, Florida is my next show I'll be playing is the summer series Jacksonville Beach Jazz Festival. The date on that is June the 5th, 2022. That is a Sunday. And I hit the stage at five o'clock. You don't want to be late. Five o'clock on the dot. I don't have much time. What do you say? I'm not there for a long time, but for a good time. You know what I'm saying? So you got to make sure you got your own chair. You got everything situated by five o'clock. So that's in Jacksonville, Florida, June the 5th, summer series Jacksonville Beach Jazz Festival. June the 5th, 2022. Now, where can people go to follow you for your music? And if they just want to start following you as an artist? So social media wise, Instagram is one of the biggest things I do. That's one of the biggest platforms, I think, for artists and anybody. You can follow me there at Duck, real Willis-Sole. That's T-H-E-R-E-A-L-W-I-L-L-I-E-S-O-U-L. The real Willis-Sole question on Facebook. Just look, you know, look up Willis-Sole or www.facebook.com slash Willis-Sole music. Twitter as well, you know, twitter.com slash Willis-Sole music. Now, that's the social media, pretty much my social media handles, but I'm really big on Instagram. If you want to listen to my music, my music is on all platforms. That's Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal is big these days, Pandora, I'm sure there's some other stuff out there. You know, I'm on all platforms, but anything you want to follow me on, just give me a shout out, a direct message and I'll respond. And I advise you to go and listen to his music, listen to that Willis, that Willis groove. Oh my gosh, I love it, love it, love it. It's definitely a groove. Yes, yes it is. And if you get a chance, if you're in the Jacksonville area and you get a chance to see Willie play, go see him play. Go see him play, you will not be disappointed. Trust me on that. With that being said, Willie, I thank you so much for being here with me today. Yeah, it's definitely my pleasure. We're gonna bring you back for a part two and I can't wait, cause I know you love to talk and I love listening to you talk. I love it, love it, love it. Don't say that like that, maybe sound like a talk too much. No, no, no, no, no, I love it. I appreciate you for having me, it's definitely a pleasure. I love it. So my viewers, thank you so much for tuning in today and until next time, aloha and God bless. Thank you so much for watching Think Tech Hawaii. If you like what we do, please like us and click the subscribe button on YouTube and the follow button on Vimeo. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and donate to us at thinktechhawaii.com. Mahalo.