UK soulstress Natasha Watts has delivered a superb, limited edition CD of live cuts recorded in Japan with the exceptional Hundred Birds Orchestra. The fourteen cuts here are pulled from her three studio albums and sound incredible: both vocally and musically the tracks shine. Check out the effervescent ‘Good Love’, the sparkling ‘I Do, I Did, I’m Done’, the superbly open, jazzy ‘Reach Up’, the pulsating ‘Fly Away’, the energy driven ‘Everything’ and the epic ‘Out of My Mind/All of That’. The set ends on a crescendo with the brilliant ‘Love Who You Are’ from her ‘2nd Time Around’ album....
This 15 track collection brings together works from the North East outfit SouLutions’ back catalogue but in re-edited or rerecorded form and highlights the journey that main man Steve Lee has taken in production and arranging over that time. The results are fresh, bright new versions of some of the band’s best loved works, full of bubbling percussion, trickling keys and driving basslines, as well as lead vocalist Louise’s strong, assured vocals. ‘Philly/Montana Line’ and ‘Clayton Street Symphony’ are straight out of the late 70s heydays of disco, the infectious ‘Love Of A Good Man’ and ‘Listen (original demo)’ again...
This Brilliant 1977 album is one of Gil’s best, highlighting his sharp lyrics, great vocals and the fantastic band at their peak. ‘Hello Sunday Hello Road’ and ‘Racetrack In France’ are great uptempo groovers. ‘Song Of The Wind’ , ‘Vildgolia’ , ‘We Almost Lost Detroit , ‘Delta Man’ and ’95 South’ are more mid or down tempo but are totally captivating. This is music and lyrics that you can really feel and relate to giving food fro thought and showcasing what an important artist Gil was to our music. Essential album that should be regarded as one of the all...
Much needed reissue of this rare 1979 soul album out of Memphis, this was Stuckey's one and only full length effort after a handful of 45s in and around the region. Often referred to a Southern Soul album, it bears little musically to that definition in terms of genre with the bulk of material on this slightly expanded issue (eight tracks where the original has seven) being a mix of private nightclub disco and ballads/steppers. Vocally he's strong – touches of Hutson in places – and musically on point. The bubbling mid tempo 'I've Got Plan For You' reminds of...
WAREHOUSE FIND - LAST COPIES****** Side Effect’s first and most soulful album recorded in 1973 but unreleased at the time. It features Jim Gilstrap, Lamita Johnson and Augie Johnson on lead vocals and some really nice vocal harmonies from the group. It incl the string laden northern dancer ‘Run Run Run’ , ‘Spend it On Love’ a beautiful shuffling mid tempo , ‘Do Your Thing’ and ‘Unless You’re Wearing Your Emotions’ nice deep soul ballads. The outstanding track is ‘Do You Believe’ which starts off slow then builds into a semi funky groover that really kicks. The ballads ‘Tree Of...
Spiritual Jazz Now! Is the 13th volume in the acclaimed series and across the two volumes (24 tracks in total) we are presented with an overview of a clutch of contemporary exponents of Spiritual Jazz; musicians who are intent on bringing something personal to the table as well as recognising the importance of those who have paved the way for them. Featuring music from the past 20 years and from 15 different countries this series includes modern classics from veterans Steve Reid and Idris Ackamoor, providing a vital link between the past masters and the enlightened new generation.Pioneers such as...
Good, varied compilation that pulls together the 17 seven inch singles on the gospel division of Stax Records, both A and B sides. Highlights are many on a set that shows the broad sweep of styles from out and out gospel to soulful numbers and funkier moments. The Rance Allen Group feature heavily with cuts like 'Just My Salvation' (based on the Temptations hit) the thumping funky dancer 'Gonna Be A Showdown', the sublime 'I Know A Man Who', and the energetic 'I Gotta Be Myself' among their best, Joshie Jo Armstead's in demand modern soul 'I Got The Vibes'...
Australian 9-piece Spiritual Jazz group Menagerie return with their highly anticipated third album ‘Many Worlds’. Lead by the superbly talented Lance Ferguson ‘Many Worlds’ features some of Australia’s finest musicians, including pianist Mark Fitzgibbon (a regular performer at Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge’s original Dingwalls sessions), drummer Daniel Farrugia and renowned saxophonist Phil Noy (The Bamboos). Inspired by both the post-Coltrane generation of the 70’s, labels like Strata-East, Impulse! and Tribe, Menagerie also sit within the current ‘New Wave of Jazz’ and will appeal to fans of Kamasi Wrshington, Shabaka Hutchings and Nubya Garcia among others. The punchy ‘Hope’ is...
Organist Doug Carn teams up with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad for the fifth installment of their Jazz is Dead series. Carn plays Hammond B3 on the eleven tracks written for the album ‘Lions Walk’ is a hard hitting uptempo groove featuring great drumming from Malachi Morehead and Alto Sax from Gary Bartz. The Latin-esq ‘Nunca Um Malandro’ shifts along nicely. ‘Desires’ is a hypnotic slow burner that builds with intensity as it grooves along. ‘Desert Rain’ is another mid tempo funky organ groove with nice horn backing. ‘Processions’, ‘Dimensions’ and ‘Freedom at Sunset’ are slightly complicated hard hitting...
The 1970 debut album from Kool and the Gang scored a couple of hits with 'The Gangs Back Again' and the title cut, but more importantly, it heralded the arrival of what was to become a juggernaut on the R&B scene. This all-instrumental record is years away from the commercial successes of 'Jungle Boogie' and 'Celebration,' and a few light years away stylistically, too. But that unique mixture of jazz, funk, and R&B punctuated by those tremendous horn arrangements (and some great drum breaks) that characterizes Kool and the Gang at its best is here in full force. Tracks like...
