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Don Bryant – You Make Me Feel | Album of the day 9th July 2020

Following his acclaimed 2017 album ‘Don’t Give Up on Love’, soul/blues man Don Bryant returns with another set of southern soaked tunes that both mine his own back catalogue and comprise new work. His 50 year marriage to legend Ann Pebbles is celebrated as ever on the touching ’99lbs’, the heartwrenching ‘Is It Over’ and the more uptempo ‘Your Love Is To Blame’ are previously unheard while the more sneaking R&B feel of ‘Your Love Is Too Late’ is another highlight. The sumptuous ‘I’ll Go Crazy’ is a sublime slab of deep southern balladry while ‘A Woman’s Touch’ is another...
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Greg Foat – Symphonie Pacifique | Album of the day 7th of July 2020

Pianist and composer Greg Foat was in a rich vein of form in 2019 with an armful of albums and collaborations and this year sees no let up as he follows his joint project with Linkwood with a sublime album of jazz, classical and ambient. The surging title track brings to mind the likes of GoGo Penguin, the pulsating ‘Anticipation’ is a swaggering slab of sax lead jazz while the muscular ‘Yonaguni’ is carried along on bubbling percussion and a chunky bass that gives it an irresistible groove. ‘Island Life’ has a raw, funky head nodding groove that brings it...
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Izo Fitzroy – How The Mighty Fall | Album of the day 6th of July 2020

Izo Fitzroy returns following her superb 2017 offering ‘Skyline’ with an even better album in the form of ‘How The Mighty Fall’. Izo’s background in gospel gives her incredible voice a strength that, when met with the blues, takes it to another plane. The emotive, defiant ‘I Ain’t Here For Your Pleasure’ is a gritty blues number that sets the tone for this brilliant album that is both confessional and a declaration of intent. The musicianship is totally on point here and the breadth of styles works incredibly well to give the set a self-contained cohesion. ‘Red Line’ is a...
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Simon Jefferis – Vibrations | Album of the day 30th of June 2020

Brilliant debut album from London producer and multi-instrumentalist Simon Jefferis, this 11 track set takes in a broad landscape of sounds and styles with some humorous skits thrown in that illustrate the depth of creativity here. There’s a hip hop feel to the tempo and vibe of some of the cuts here but underpinning it all is a rich well of soul and jazz that brings this album into the cannon of new jazz being created in the capital. The gorgeous, laid back ‘White Rabbit’ is soulful gem featuring Rosie Lowe, Ezra Collective’s Dylan Jones lends his tones to the...
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Ann Sexton – Loving You, Loving Me | Album of the day 29th of June 2020

Ann Sexton was a niece of Chuck Jackson and released this hard to find album in 1973. The northern soul classic 'You've Been Gone Too Long' features as well as the punchy funk classic 'You're Losing Me'. The pacey 'I Still Love You' is a superb uptempo cut with searing horns and a perfect tempo for progressive, funky-end soul dancefloors while slower numbers like the sumptuous southern ballad 'Come Back Home' and the stunning 'Loving You, Loving Me' (also covered by Sandra Wright) are also standouts. In truth the whole album is a winner...a well balanced mix of slower, deep...
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Leo’s Sunshipp – We Need Each Other| Album of the day 24th of June 2020

The sole effort of Kenny Stover, Johnny Simone and Alvin Few (who all happened to be born under the star sign Leo) this 8 track effort comprises just 4 individual tunes that the group recorded before Simone fell ill and tragically died. Stover and Simone had been backing singers for Marvin Gaye and the influence of the legendary soulman is there to hear. Stover blocked the album’s release at the time and would move onto work with Finished Touch until Lyons Records took the four tracks, added four instrumental/alternate mixes and this classic, if brief, album came into existence. The...
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Mark Murphy – The Jazz Singer – Anthology The Muse Years 1972-1991 | Album of the day 23rd of June 2020

Superb Anthology featuring all the in demand tracks recorded by one of the all time great Jazz singers, Mark Murphy for the Muse label 1972-91. It Includes his fantastic vocal versions of the Jazz classics ‘Stolen Moments’, ‘On the Red Clay’ ‘Canteloupe Island’, ‘Effendi’, ‘Maiden Voyage and ‘Naima’. The Brazilian ‘Waters of March’, ‘Two Kites’ are great dancers as well, and there is his homage to the London Jazz Dance scene ‘Ding Walls’. Try ‘Looking for another Pure love’ and ‘I Don’t want to cry anymore’ for the more soulful side of Murphy, the bluesy ‘Come and Get Me’ and...
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Dee Dee Bridgewater – Afro Blue | Album of the day 22nd of June 2020

‘Afro Blue’ is the 1974 debut album by Dee Dee Bridgewater. Until now it had only been released in Japan, where it was recorded. It is her finest set and amongst the greatest Jazz vocal albums of all time. It features then husband Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, his brother Ron on reeds, Roland Hanna on keyboards, George Mraz on bass and a Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino (brother of trumpeter Terumasa). Mongo Santamaria and Oscar Brown Jr’s ‘Afro Blue’ is given a Spiritual Jazz rendition that is one of the greatest versions of this classic and the album is worth it...
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Mario Biondi – Handful Of Soul | Album of the day 18th of June

Jazz crooner meets Italian Jazz dance, Mario's voice possesses richness and warmth a mix of Frank Sinatra and Mark Murphy with a hint of Louis Armstrong. Covers of 'Rio De Janeiro Blue' and Deidre Wilson's 'I Can't Keep From Cryin Sometimes' groove subtly yet remorselessly. Check the popular 'This Is What You Are' and 'On A Clear Day' plus the title song and 'A Child Runs Free'. Outstanding. CD LP See all by Mario Biondi here Listen  A Child Runs Free No Mercy For Me This Is What You Are Rio De Janeiro Blue Slow Hot Wind A...
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Fela Kuti – Expensive Shit | Album of the day 17th of June

'Expensive Shit' is the twelfth full-length album by Afrobeat artist and pioneer Fela Ransome Kuti and his Africa '70 band, released in 1975. Kuti was a legend and was a noted tenor saxophonist, pianist, vocalist, arranger, composer and producer. The title of the album and first track refers to an incident in 1974 where the Nigerian police planted a joint on Kuti. Before he was arrested, he ate the joint, but the police brought him into custody and waited for him to produce the (titular) excrement. According to legend, he managed to use another inmate's feces and was eventually released....