Donny is rightly heralded as one of the greats, his soul drenched voice really touches you and his rhythmic keyboard playing is outstanding throughout. This is his debut album from 1970 and contains some of his finest work. The really groovy ‘The Ghetto’ has become a classic and really shifts along nicely. ‘Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)’ has a great groove and hookline that draws you in. The bluesier ‘Je Vous Aime ( I love You)’ , ‘I Believe To My Soul’ , ‘Trying Times’ and ‘To Be Young Gifted And Black’ highlights Donny’s soulful voice. An amazing debut album....
Released in January 1972 ‘Young Gifted and Black’ is rightly regarded as one of the Queen of Soul’s best and most successful albums. It includes the magnificent ballad ‘Oh my oh my’ , the superb floating mid tempo ‘Day Dreaming’ and ultra funky gem ‘Rock Steady’. Her gospel drenched cover of Nina Simone’s ‘Young gifted and black’ became an anthem for Afro American pride. Her version of the Gamble and Butler song ‘Brand new me’ is definitive and really swings along. Her uptempo take on the Bacharach David song ‘April Fools’ is uplifting and has become popular on the Modern...
Immaculately curated set of releases from the Colemine stable, this 22 track offering gives us a broad span of styles and moods, from the Budios band-like Ironsides' brooding 'Sommer' to the pleading Low Rider gem 'What's His Name' from Thee Sinseers. The other era sounding 'Standing With You' from the Reasonaires, the pulsating Afro-Funker (albeit with a bit of surf thrown in) 'Adonai' from Ikebe Showdown, the driving thumping dancer 'More Than A Memory' from Ben Pirani and the rubbery funk of The Winston Brothers' 'Winston Theme' further highlight how diverse the styles are under the broad umbrella of the...
Curtis Mayfield’s second solo album ‘Roots’ is from 1971. It has a similar feel to his fantastic debut ‘Curtis’. ‘Get Down’ and ‘Beautiful Brother of mine’ have his familiar heavy grooves. ‘Underground’ is an atmospheric and deeply funky mid tempo track. ‘We got to have peace’ has Curtis naturally optimistic message. ‘Now You’re Gone’ and ‘Love to keep in mind’ are beautiful string laden Chicago Soul. BUY CD here BUY LP here Listen Get Down Keep On Keeping Up Underground We Got To Have Peace Beautiful Brother Of Mine Now You're Gone Love To Keep You In My...
The ‘Prince of Sophisticated Soul’ Will Downing returns with another grown folks’ album in the form of ‘The Song Garden’. Immaculately produced smooth soul abounds on this, his first release in two years on his own Sophisticated Soul imprint. The infectious ‘Stand Up’ opens the set with an easy flowing vibe that rides on a driving B-line, the slower ‘Say Yes’ finds Will at his most romantic while ‘Chocolate’ ramps up the romance on a spoken word slow burner aimed at the ladies. ‘Love You Better’ is another mid-tempo ballad that contrasts with the soulful house groove of ‘Right Where...
Originally released on a tiny, self-funded imprint in 1978 as a promo only in a plain sleeve, this was then issued in Belgium under the name Reverie – ‘Get Up And Dance’ and Japan, and has remained almost impossible to find on original ever since. Slick sounding, well produced NY disco from brothers John & Rocco Giamundo, this five track offering is a glimpse into the late 70s disco scene and includes the club / rare-groove classic “It’s True” (compiled on “Under The Influence Vol. 2 by Paul Phillips) and “Get It On And Dance” as well as the P&P...
We've just unearthed very limited quantities of this great comp that features 14 Modern Soul and rare Groove tracks. Vol 1 incl Jon Lucien ‘Would You Believe’, Gloria Scott ‘Too Much Love Making’, Michael Wycoff ‘looking Up To You’, Tyrone Davis ‘Never Stopped Loving You’ , Magic Lady ‘Hold Tight’ Valarie Carter ‘Trying To Get To You. Classic soul. You can buy this and another title from a selection of four titles for £25 for two. Or grab all four for £50. BUY CD here Listen Sheree Brown - Got To Get Away Cat Miller - Be For...
‘Implicate Order’ is the third album from Nick Walters’ Paradox Ensemble, and the first release on new label D.O.T. Records. The 11-piece band combine spiritual and eastern jazz styles with West African rhythms and a fusion of electronics. The album follows up the band’s highly acclaimed ‘Awakening’ from 2019. ‘The Underdog’ – is a uptempo tribute to Charles Mingus and was inspired by his classic album ‘The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady’. Walters’ trumpet takes the lead steering the 11 piece band along an infectious and is brought to a finale by the excellent Richard Foote on Trombone. ‘Volta...
Throughout their career, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings remained in high demand both publicly and privately to recreate and often re-imagine songs by other artists. More often than not, these covers were recorded by request – commissioned for placement in movies, television programs, tribute albums, or for samples. This album compiles some of their most popular as well as never-before-heard renditions. Though the band has mostly built their career on a prolific catalog of originals, these forays into other artists’ compositions lay bare their gift for arrangement and the unmatched studio prowess that earned them their reputation as The Baddest...
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....
