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...
Only a couple of new releases this week, but high on quality. Harvey Scales is best known for writing Johnnie Taylor's record breaking hit 'Disco Lady' in 1976 but he also recorded many fine Soul and Funk singles prior to this which are compiled on 'Love-itus'. Max Roach epic 'Members Dont Weary' is given a high quality reissue on ARC/Brownswood. We are back in stock of Will Downing excellent 'Pieces' album , Disco soul gold vol 1 and 2 and 'Uk Soul Chart' CDs. Our good friend Winston Edwards visited the shop in the week with a new Roots Reggae album on...
Leon Thomas had one of the most unique voices in Jazz music. He was at his best when stretching boundaries as he had previously with Pharoah Sanders. Full Circle from 1973 was his 6th and final album for Flying Dutchman, and contains some of his finest tracks, supported by an impressive cast of musicians. At this time he was a member of Santana and the album includes one if Carlos tracks, Just In Time To See The Sun. It is a soulful funky Jazz dancer featuring Pee Wee Ellis on Soprano Sax, Jimmy Owens on Trumpet, Richard Davis on...
Colin Curtis has championed many great contemporary Jazz-Dance artists, so it is only natural that he should compile a superb LP featuring the best dance floor tracks from Japanese Band Indigo Jam Unit for Paul Murphy's Jazz Room label. Indigo Jam unit have recorded numerous albums which have been released on CD in Japan, but I believe are making their first appearance on vinyl. ‘Rush’ is an appropriate title for the first track that epitomizes their urgent style led by a throbbing Contrabass from Katsuhiko Sasai, over a constant rhythm from drummers Takehiro Shimizu and Isao Wasano with Yoshichika Tarue...
Nicola Conte returns with another strong album, his first for the Far Out label. His distinctive blend of Jazz and Soul is complimented by some good instrumentation and guest vocalists. Miles Sanko leads the positive up tempo song "Into The Light Of Love' which will appeal to Soul fans as well as Jazz heads. The wonderful Zara Mcfarlane sings on 'Arise', the jazzier 'Life Forces' and backgrounds of the highly rthymic and mainly instrumental 'Freedom & Progress', which is an album highlight. Longtime associate Bridgette Amofah vocalises on the evocative 'Dance Of Love & Peace', the mid tempo 'Flying Circles'...
