About Carolina Soul Records

Carolina Soul has been one of the most trusted names in vinyl worldwide since 2010. The story starts with a chemist who quit his job to look for records.

Jason Perlmutter grew up in Raleigh, studied at UNC-Chapel Hill, and spent years driving around North and South Carolina meeting forgotten soul musicians, documenting their stories, and tracking down 45s that most of the world didn't know existed. Once a year, on a Thursday night, he'd take over WXYC and play three hours of Carolina soul — almost no repeats — from records he'd found himself. His fellow archivists called it mind-boggling. The listeners just called it the best night of the year.

In 2010 that obsession became a business. Carolina Soul grew into a global operation, earning a reputation among collectors worldwide for deep knowledge, honest grading, and an uncanny ability to find the unfindable.

In 2016 the shop opened in Durham. Same instincts, wider net — soul, jazz, hip-hop, funk, rock, new releases and used vinyl, curated by someone who has never once stopped thinking about records.

Thousands on the floor. New releases every Friday. Fresh used vinyl added every week. What you see online is a slice of what's here.

Stop on by and see the rest.