From the caressing sax that introduces the first song, Party Down, the CD enfolds you in its sound. The album was mastered at the Frankford & Wayne Mastering Labs in New-York, legendary for its work with the O'jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Billy Paul and The Stylistics. The defining sound comes from the tasteful arrangements and compositions of Libert Subirana and the fine ensemble work of the 21 musicians who contributed.

Montreal clothier Richard Scala has had a life-long passion for soul music and it's roots, the music of his childhood ,but by the mid 90's he was discouraged at how radio and music stores had virtually abandoned the great soul tradition. So Scala decided to produce his own record, one that would be true to the spirit of the music he remembered and at the same time fresh and relevant to the contemporary ear. From the release of the album in 2000 to the present, that sound, that spirit, has been faithfully maintained and sharpened over a busy course of sold-out live performances both in Quebec and Ontario in festivals, corporate functions, jazz bars and private parties. North of Soul's repertoire continues to expand, its textures continue to become more varied, the band's line-up changing from time to time always improving. North of Soul's momentum is a validation of the painstaking care and uncomprising rigor that the current line up has injected in the project. Richard is deeply honored to have been nominated for band of the year in 2004 at the Canadian Smooth Jazz awards, and is especially grateful to Andrew Leader, the band's long time lead vocalist. Andrew's gospel background, and impressive performance on Canadian Idol (top 20 finalist) are a precious asset to North of Soul in its vision of bridging the gap between the past and the future.