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A Father’s Pride: Passing the Soul Torch to My Son DJ Alex Gutierrez

 


A Father’s Pride: Passing the Soul Torch to My Son

There’s a quiet kind of joy that sneaks up on you when you least expect it—like when your grown son sends you a text in the morning, not asking for advice or money, but simply dropping a link to a song he just discovered. It’s his way of saying, “Dad, I get you.” And I have to say, few things make me prouder than moments like these.

This morning was one of those moments. My son, who grew up on a steady diet of whatever soul, funk, and R&B I could pump into his ears during car rides and lazy Sunday afternoons, sent me a track that stopped me in my tracks. “Really Wanna Be With You” by Durand Jones & The Indications. He just said, “This feels like you.”

And it did.

Durand Jones & The Indications are part of a refreshing new wave of artists that are bringing soul back....real soul. The kind with lush strings, heart-wrenching harmonies, and that analog warmth that wraps around you like a vinyl hug. Formed in 2012 by Durand Jones, Aaron Frazer (who also sings and plays drums), and guitarist Blake Rhein, they found their groove by leaning unapologetically into the retro-soul movement. That’s music that isn’t just inspired by the past—it’s rooted in it.

Their style pays homage to the golden era of American soul music from the 1950s through the ’70s—but with a modern heartbeat. Listening to “Really Wanna Be With You” felt like stepping into a time capsule and hearing Barry White, The Spinners, or Al Green for the first time all over again. The strings swelled like something out of the Love Unlimited Orchestra’s playbook, and the harmonies—Lord—they were pure silk.

That track hit me right in the center of my musical soul. Goosebumps. A smile. That nostalgic ache that only great music can give you.

What makes it even more meaningful is that my son recognized it. He knew this was my kind of jam. He gets the texture of those sounds, the emotional punch packed into a well-placed falsetto or a tasteful horn section. That tells me two things:

  1. I raised him right.

  2. Soul music still has a future—and it's in good hands.

It’s no surprise, really. Artists like Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak with their project Silk Sonic have helped bring this music back into the mainstream spotlight. With lush production, retro aesthetics, and vocal delivery straight out of the golden years of soul, they’ve reintroduced a new generation to something timeless. When Silk Sonic hit with “Leave the Door Open,” you could almost hear the ghost of Marvin Gaye nodding in approval.

But what makes me proud isn’t just that my son listens to music like this it’s that he shares it with me. That he sees me in it. That he still wants to make those connections through sound, even as he grows into his own musical identity.

So, to my son: Good work. You’ve added another gem to the ever-growing playlist of our bond. Keep those songs coming. And just know, every time you send me something like this, it’s more than music—it’s a love letter in the language you grew up hearing, one soulful verse at a time.

And to Durand Jones & The Indications: Thank you for carrying the torch. And lighting it with analog fire.

A Proud Soul Dad

Watch the video Click on this Link  here Durand Jones and The Indications

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