Right from the opening bars it is obvious that Marvin Gaye's classic 'Whats Going On' album has been a massive influence on Jalen Ngonda. He has created a modern day classic soul album 'Come Around And Love Me' which whilst contemporary like Durand Jones sounds like it could have been recorded 50 years or more ago. Jalen even sounds a little like Marvin and he has a really soulful voice, but it is the instrumentation and production that really gives this album its aura. 'Come Around And Love Me' is a superb upper mid tempo track that has all the...
Tenderlonious has made many solo albums and with his group Ruby Rushton on his 22a label over the past decade. His latest album. one of his Jazziest, 'You Know I Care' sees him playing with a quartet, covers of Spiritual Jazz compositions. He plays Alto Saxophones and Flute and is accompanied by Hamish Balfour on piano, Pete Martin on Bass and Tim Carnegie on Drums, who all play beautifully throughout. 'On The Nile' written by Charles Tolliver is a beautiful modal/spiritual jazz track that takes you on a journey, conjuring images of the great African River. Stanley Cowell's 'Maimoun' is another...
Dexter Wansel recorded his epic debut album 'Life On Mars' at Sigma Sounds for Philadelphia International in 1976. Dexter features on Keyboards, ARP and Synthesizers and is backed by great musicians and MFSB strings and horns to create an amazing sound. 'Life On Mars' inspired by the David Bowie song some years earlier, had a completely different sound in its time and was an instant underground dancefloor hit. It has remained one of the most sought after anthems from the early Jazz-Funk period, that has retained its freshness and has been appreciated by many generations. The drum beat from 'Theme From The...
Gil Scott Heron performed in Europe with his Amensia Express many times in the 1980s. This performance from 1983 was recorded by Radio Bremen was very unique because bass player Robbie Gordon missed the flight from London, so guitarist Ed Brady switched to bass. Due to lack of rehearsal time Gil performed a couple of tracks solo singing and playing piano giving a very intimate performance on 'We Almost Lost Detroit' and Angola Lousina'.The band join for the rest of the songs which includes 'Winter In America', 'Legend In His Own Mind', 'Washington Dc' , and very long renditions of...
Carmen Lundy has established herself as one of the best female Jazz vocalists with a succession of great albums over nearly 40 years. On her latest 'Fade To Black' , Carmen sings, plays keyboards and guitar, percussion and arranges the horns over 11 self composed songs, illustrating why she is held in such high esteem. As ever she is accompanied by some great musicians especially Julius Rodriguez on piano, Andrew Renfroe on guitar, her brother Curtis Lundy on bass and Wallace Rooney on trumpet, but it is always her vocals that captivate, as she tells stories of life experiences...
Output Input is the band put together by Bassist/Producer Melvin Lee Davis who has worked with Chaka Khan, Will Downing, Lalah Hathaway, George Benson, George Duke and many others. The album ‘Forward Motion’ is one of the best new soul albums of 2023 with full instrumentation and good singers and has topped the UK Soul Chart. It includes the single ‘Here We Go Again’ a version of the Isley Brothers Rare Groove classic ft Audrey Wheeler-Downing. O’Bryan recuts his early 80’s two step classic ‘Doin Alright’ which sounds fresher with a full band behind it, and more sympathetic instrumentation than...
There’s an understated quality to Dinner Party’s new album, a fine example that less is always more. Comprising of some of the finest jazz musicians in recent times, Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, as well as star studded hip hop producer 9th Wonder, the group have put together a collection of 9 songs, each with as much quality and musicianship as the next. Their tendency it seems is not to try and rewrite the history books, but create a blissful album which can be enjoyed all the way through. Blending the sounds of 70s Soul, R&B and Hip Hop,...
The evergreen Nighttime Lovers series reaches volume 34, and it is one of the most soulful of the recent editions. As always it contains 13 underground soul and boogie tracks from the 1980s. T.F.O 'Happy Family' a horn and string backed backed tempo dancer 7" single from 1981, Arlene Bailey 'I Got My Game Plan Working Baby' from 87, Streetlife mid tempo floater 'What Am I Gonna Do' from 1980 and Johnnie Taylor modern soul dancer 'Seconds Of Your Love' from 84 are soulful highlights. California Executives 'The Same For Me' from 87, Grendolyn Lassic 'Never Gonna Give You...
Mama Terra are a new Jazz group from Glasgow that have signed to Acid Jazz Records. Their debut album ‘The Summoned’ is an impressive album of spiritual and dancefloor Jazz. ‘A Mind Supreme’ has an obvious nod to Coltrane’s Spiritual Jazz epic but is in fact more modal and contemplative a lovely piece of melodic music with nice horns and keys over a good rhythm, ‘Novo’ also has a very mystical feel. .’Last Hour’ is also very melodic with soft horns and ethereal vocals, ‘Radio Service’ and ‘Sunday ‘follow a similar laid back approach. ‘The Summoned’ and ‘Ruptura’...
Harvey Scales is best known for writing Johnnie Taylor’s massive 1976 hit ‘Disco Lady’ in fact he wrote over a hundred songs throughout his career. He recorded many great Soul and Funk 45s for the Magic Touch label between 1967 and 1977 with his group The Seven Sounds, which are compiled here. 'Get Down' and 'Love-itis' from 1967 are typical raw southern soul funky goodtime dancers of their time which could easily have been recorded by Wilson Pickett. 'Broadway Freeze' , 'The Yolk', 'Funky Football' and the slightly slower 'I Can't cry no more' show a James Brown influence. The...
