Miami has a large Cuban community due to its proximity to the island. This means, naturally, that it has a large Latin funk and boogaloo scene, as Salsa and Afro-Cuban influences collided with the popular American music of the 70s to create incredibly funky sounds.
“Soul Freedom” is an electric Latin funk number which uses the saxophone in conjunction with other buoyant brass, leading to a rolling, triumphant groover, driven by a rumbling bassline and some clearly Cuban inspired percussion.
It’s catchy and powerful, with serious dancefloor ability. It’s a song demands at least some head nodding, maybe even some foot tapping, and is almost certain to fill the listener with funky vibes.
Ray’s band was called “Ray & His Court”, and contained his wife and two sons. You can imagine the house being quite noisy!
The song was released in 1973 on the album Ray & His Court, and also as a single.