This 1970 debut release from Curtis Mayfield is an acknowledged classic among soul albums (and albums in general) and has stood the test of time, both lyrically and musically. Powerful, keenly observed social commentary – often with a wry, dark humour – abound across the set. The stunning ‘The Other Side Of Town’ brings to the fore the universal and enduring problems with social equality and the stark differences in opportunity that it brings, the epic ‘We People Who Are Darker Than Blue’ and ‘If There’s A Hell Down Below…’ are lengthy, punchy slabs of funky soul, the classic ‘Move...
Founding member of Earth, Wind & Fire Philip Bailey delivers his 12th solo album and has assembled a cast of soul and jazz royalty on ‘Love Will Find A way’ including Christian McBride, Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington,Christian Scott, Bilal, Casey Benjamin, Kendrick Scott and Derrick Hodge among many others. The urgent, driving cover of Curtis’ ‘Billy Jack’ is a triumph, the smooth, jazzy ‘You’re Everything’ brings the sunshine while Mayfield in mined again on the airy ‘We’re A Winner’. ‘Stairway To The Stars’ is an eastern-vibe jazz instrumental, ‘Brooklyn Blues’ again ploughs a deep jazz vein while...
Playlist - Download here 0:00 | Oscar Wright - Fell In Love From 7" Single 02:28 Al Gardner - Sweet Baby From 7" Single 04:55 Lester Tipton - This Won't Change From 7" Single 07:17 Candi Staton - Now You've Got The Upper Hand From 7" Single 09:05 Lou Courtney - Trying To Find My Woman From 7" Single 11:31 Speedometer - We Gave Up Too Soon From Our Kind of Movement 14:19 Monophonics - Last One Standing From It’s Only Us 21:31 The Impressions - Love Me From Times Have Changed 25:27 Randy Brown - Love Is All...
The Tramp label have created a nice compilation series 'Praise Poems' featuring obscure soul/jazzy/folky and some gospel tracks from the 70's. Volume 7 is another strong comp and includes Marva Josie superb 'He does it better' which you can pre-order on 45 for next week. Sparkle is an incredibly rare Disco album from 1979 incl their monster 'Let yourself go' , Rahni harris 'Six million steps' and 'Disco madness' now reissued in a gatefold sleeve. there are another couple of classic Blue Note vinyl titles and another two great double A side 45's from Deptford Northern Soul. Pre-order Pre-order for next week Kaidi Tatham...
Susan Phillips' ‘Soft sexy Soul’ 'Holy Grail album' was recorded for Sylvia Robinson’s All Platinum label 1971, pressed in small quantities. Few copies have ever surfaced, it is so rare that many collectors doubt if it was ever released The album has that classic early 70’s New Jersey Orchestrated Soul sound. The album contains the in demand 2-step single ‘He Knows My Key (is always in the Mailbox)’ , the Northern Soul floater ‘Answer to my Prayer’ , Detroit sounding ‘Please Don’t Keep Me Lonely’ the multi paced ‘Where Do I Go From Here’ and many great ballads like ‘He’s...
Superb 1978 and only album recorded by keyboardist and singer Samuel Jonathan Johnson, ‘My Music’is an unheralded Soul /Jazz-Funk gem. ‘My Music’ is a very unusually structured cosmic two stepper that has an irrepressible groove and amazing strings and instrumentation. ‘Sweet Love’ is a too short uptempo keyboard backed groove with uplifting lyrics. ‘You’ is a slightly off-beat string laden uptempo dancer, ‘It Ain’t easy’, ‘Reason for the Reason’and ‘Thank you Mother Dear’are also good uptempo tracks. ‘Yesterdays and Tomorrow’ and ‘Just Us’ are good ballads.Very strong album. Listen to tracks My Music What The World Needs...
Carmen Lundy has established herself as one of the leading contemporary female jazz singers,she possesses a rich tone which oozes class and sassiness. ‘Soul To Soul’ is another great album with 13 mainly self composed captivating songs featuring an amazing cast of musicians. Patrice Rushen contributes a major part playing keyboards on most tracks, Bennie Maupin on Sax, Randy Brecker on Trumpet and Warren Wolf on Vibes compliment the tight core band on key tracks. ‘Grateful Pt 2’ is a superb uptempo groove track, ‘Life is a song in me’ a Soul/Jazz mid tempo and ‘Everything I Need’ and the...
The Lost Generation were a harmony soul group from Chicago who released their much lauded ‘The Young, Tough and Terrible’ album in 1972. It follows in a similar style to their debut and only other album ‘Sly, Slick And Wicked’ from two years earlier. Lowrell Simon lead the group as singer and songwriter and this ten-track soul/funk offering finds them in their prime. The brooding ‘This Is The Lost Generation’ is a dark, ghetto soul gem, they do a decent cover of ‘Tired Of Being Alone’ but better is the string lead beat ballad ‘All In The Course Of A...
Released in 1973, ‘Extension Of A Man’ was Donny Hathaway’s last solo studio album and is rightly considered an all-time classic. The album features (among others) Stanley Clark, and Fred White (brother of Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White) on drums. The swirling, orchestrated ‘I Love The Lord; He Heard My Cry’ is a dramatic, theatrical opener that paves the way for the soulful, often jazz laced numbers that follow. The impassioned ‘Someday We’ll All Be Free’ finds Hathaway in a Stevie Wonder vibe, the soul-jazz of ‘Flying Free’ allows his stunning range to find it’s full power while the...
