The Whole Darn Family were a funk band who recorded their only album 'Has Arrived' in Atlanta in 1976 for the Soul International label. Drummer and lead singer Tyrone Thomas leads the 13 piece band that includes Tommy Stewart on trumpet. 'Seven Minutes Of Funk' is their most famous track, a seven minute instrumental funk opus that has been sampled many times. 'You Know That You Lied' and 'New Yorking' are further funk tracks, There is also a great horn backed mid tempo modern soul cut 'Fly Away Love Bird'. Leave Me Alone' is another mid tempo soul cut. Strong album Buy the...
Atlanta's Khari Cabral Simmons and Jiva return with the first Jiva album in 13 years '5'. Their blend of Bossa nova soul and Funk still sounds fresh. There are covers of two James Mason tracks 'Good Thing' ft Brenda Nicole Moorer and a nice percussive bossa version of 'Sweet Power Your Embrace' ft Lizz Wright. Lindsay Webster features on the upper mid tempo 'Heaven's Design'. Up and coming vocalist Cleveland Jones provides a good contrast on the dancer 'Show Me The Way' and the more contemplative 'Hard Times'. The groove oriented instrumentals 'North Node' , ' I Believe' and 'Capricorn...
Jas Kayser features in the latest album in the Jazzre:freshed series Jas 5ive, following on in the footsteps of Ashley Henry and Kaidi Tatham with a rhythmically-flowing and expertly measured set that plumbs the rich rhymical traditions of West African, Latin and Jazz, distilled through the filter of contemporary London Jazz. The Dorset raised 26-year-old has been making a name for herself as one of the finest young drummers on the UK circuit, after attaining her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Berklee. Having performed with homegrown talent ranging from Alfa Mist, Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings, her touch is well...
Jazz organist ‘Brother’ Jack McDuff (born Eugene McDuffy in 1926 September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001) was second only to the infamous Jimmy Smith in terms of fame and the impact he made with the King of keyboard instruments – the Hammond B-3 Organ. Self-taught on the organ, he recorded with Willis Jackson & Roland Kirk in the late ’50s and early ’60s, cutting high calibre souljazz dates for Prestige Records, and later Argo / Cadet. Blue Note and Verve Records. McDuff can also take the credit for launching the career of a particularly gifted young jazz guitarist when...
Lonnie Liston Smith’s last album for the Flying Dutchman label ‘Renaissance’ was actually released on RCA in 1976. It is a bridge between his jazzier Flying Dutchman recordings and his slightly more commercial Columbia albums that followed: Exotic Mysteries, Loveland, Song for the Children and Bridge Through Time. His only outing on RCA, the music is an intoxicating mix of vintage Lonnie Liston Smith Jazz-Funk with his prototypical arrangements, flirtations with spiritual and Latin Jazz and beautiful instrumentation. ‘Space Lady’ and the slightly slower ‘Mongotee’ are vintage Lonnie Liston instrumental Jazz- Funk grooves, hinging off a low-slung interplay between bass...
Most recently, Silk Sonic graced the cover of Rolling Stone’s September issue, where fans got an inside look at Mars and .Paak’s deep friendship and quest for the perfect “feel good” record. The duo coasted into the release of “Skate” on the wave of success from their debut single “Leave the Door Open,” which earned them Best Group at the 2021 BET Awards. “What’s new, smooth as silk on the ears, and features two stars of R&B?” wrote Billboard, praising Silk Sonic as “a groovy duo” and the single as “lounge at its heart.” Consequence of Sound enthused, “Mars has...
Grady Tate - Lady Love / Moondance Grady Tate’s cover of the Jon Lucien penned track Lady Love sees its first ever reissue on Expansion, courtesy of Ralph Tee. The original, released on Janus as a promo back in 1974, is an uptempo rendition of Lucien’s tune, a Latin-inflected soul track with a stark percussive backbone that contrasts against sharp orchestral arrangements, soaring strings and a bold horn section, carrying the track towards luxurious musical territories. The incessant pounding of conga drums and deep, crooning vocals make this an ideal summer anthem, a rare and in-demand single which never saw...
Wayne Shorter – Adams Apple (Blue Note) Adams Apple is the tenth album in the solo cannon of saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Recorded in 1966 and released in 1967, the set is a combination of post and hard bop styles of playing, featuring an experienced quartet of Herbie Hancock on Keys, Reginald Workman on bass, Joe Chambers on drums and Shorter on reeds. The album was recorded while Shorter was a prominent member of Miles Davis’ second great quintet—alongside Hancock, an invaluable member of the lineup whose calculated and skillful playing on this date are crucially important factors behind its sound....
War released this great album 'The World Is A Ghetto' in late 1972. It was a massive success commercially and the band's only No 1 R&B and pop chart album. 'Cisco Kid' is a classic crossover funky jam, which sold a million copies on the day of release, which still sounds great today 50 years on. 'Where Was You At' is another funky groove with syncopated New Orleans drum line. ' City Country City' is a wonderful 13 minute opus which goes through many changes of pace reflecting the title. It was originally featured in the Blaxploitation film 'The legend...
Step by Step were a 12 piece soul group founded in the Brewery State of Wisconsin—Milwaukee to be precise. The title track off the album, I always Wanted To Be In The Band, became a rare and in demand Modern Soul single which has exchanged hands for large sums of money in recent years. Newer generations will have heard it being played by Mafalda and Floating Points, certainly a track that the Melodies International crew would play at their parties and a lively, upbeat stepper that infuses sweet harmony vocals and chicken pickin’ guitar licks. The album is a lovely...
