Soul introduces Joe Gardner (voiced Jamie Foxx) – a middle-school band teacher who has a passion for jazz.
Joe wants more than anything to become a professional jazz pianist, so when he’s offered a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play with one of the greats, Ms. Dorothea Williams (voiced by Angela Bassett), Joe feels he’s reached the top of the mountain but one small misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth.
Soul travels between New York City, with its dynamic, diverse and complex populace, and The Great Before, which features an ethereal array of inhabitants that creates a rich tapestry of characters who are uniquely connected and yet worlds apart.