Swiss drummer Charly Antolini played and recorded in a broad variety of musical styles, including swing with legends like Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, and Stuff Smith as well as Dixieland with The Tremble Kids and Brazilian music with Baden Powell. The overall feel on this 1968 album recalls the era's groovy, soul-drenched jazz, with plenty of pop hooks carried by the horn section. Backed by a septet of European players, the drummer isn’t shy about soloing on his second album as a leader. He seemingly uses Soul Beat as a showcase for his suitably impressive chops—check his tasty stickwork on “St. James Blues” and “Weiner Blues.” Those who want to shake their hips Austin Powers–style can turn to “Skin Burns” and “Locomotion.” While “La belle” is straight-up bossa nova in the Stan Getz vein, the following “Dear Chaples” fuses a samba rhythm to Herb Alpert–style pop. This has now been reissued for the first time digitally and with a new mastering job.