mercredi 30 septembre 2020
Randy Crawford - Don't Say It's Over 1993
A great mix of jazz and soul from Randy Crawford – and a 90s set that almost takes us back to the best sounds of her early career in the 70s! The work here is nicely relaxed – not trying for a hit, even when things are smooth or a bit uptempo – especially given the mis-steps that Randy might have made with some of the mainstream genres of the time. A few cuts feature nicely restrained instrumentation – especially Crawford's leadoff duet with pianist Lou Levy on a version of "I'm Glad There Is You". Other tracks include "In My Life", "Why Can't We Take A Chance", "Year After Year", "Mad Over You", "Don't Say It's Over", and "Can We Bring It Back".
Peaches & Herb - Golden Duets (With Bonus Tracks)
Stunning work from the team of Peaches & Herb – a male/female soul duo whose work here rivals the greatness of the Marvin Gaye duets over at Motown! The grooves are wonderfully varied here – upbeat and swinging at some points, laidback and a bit more romantic at others – but always beautifully done, with a sense of honest, soulful expression that goes way past the standard pop duet mode. Arrangements are by the likes of Bert Keyes, Jimmy Wisner, and Herb Bernstein – and titles include "Two Little Kids", "I Do", "Something You Got", "Let It Be Me", "I Want To Stay Here", "Love Is Strange", and "We Belong Together". CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Groovin Out On Life", "Watch Out World", and "You Are My Happiness".
Lee Fields Let's Get A Groove On (2020 Record Store Day Release)
A stunning return to form by Lee Fields, one of the 70s' lost funky geniuses – heard here in the initial set that would catapult him back in the spotlight for a whole new generation! The record was issued by Desco Records – the key precursor to Daptone, Soul Fire, and other modern funk imprints – and it's got a sound that feels like was lifted from the vaults of James Brown's People label, circa 1972! Unlike other "funk revival" titles of the 90s (especially those by ex-JBs Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker), this one's got a totally perfect sound, and was produced with a loving adherence to the classic 70ss funk sound that made Lee' early records so great – raw vocals, mixed with equally sharp instrumentation – all put together with help from Bosco Mann, Gabriel Roth, and Philippe Lehman – the latter two of whom had been bootlegging older funk records, but were finally ready to try their hand at something of their own. The instrumentation is a tight batch of drum-heavy, bass-heavy, break-heavy grooves – and Lee's voice is incredibly rich and soulful, approaching near-Godfather-like sensibilities! We love this one to death, and it's probably the most perfectly-formed album that Desco ever issued. Titles include "Bad, Bad, Bad", "Let's Get A Groove On", "Watch That Man", "Put It On Me", and "Steam Train". Great great great – and a real smoker!
Gregory Porter All Rise (deluxe edition – with bonus tracks) 2020
A heck of a step forward for Gregory Porter – and we're stunned to say that, because he's already had so many great steps forward in his career! Gregory's already been a hell of a singer for years – we've loved him since the very first note he ever recorded – but with a record like this, he continues to rise into the stratosphere of a rare few singers who can transcend both their roots and their genres – with the kind of trans-generational music that will have folks listening to this set for decades – and around the world, in so many different ways! The All Rise in the title is very fitting – as this is definitely a set to lift up the world – with titles that include "Mr Holland", "Concorde", "Dad Gone Thing", "Revival", "Merchants Of Paradise", "Long List Of Troubles", "Everything You Touch Is Gold", "Merry Go Round", "Thank You", and "Phoenix". Deluxe edition features a great book-style package – and the bonus tracks "Real Truth" and "You Can Join My Band".
Diana Ross & The Supremes Funny Girl (2CD ultimate edition)
A great little album from Diana Ross – maybe one of her lesser-known efforts with The Supremes, and a set that really points the way towards the solo years to come! One of the reasons for that is that the set really just features Diana out in the lead, with different backing singers behind – all the great songs from the show, but recast with these sophisticated soul arrangements by Gil Askey – very groovy, very Motown, but also with a lot stronger focus on Ross upfront than usual! In a way, the shift is a fantastic nod to Diana's growing role as a star – really claiming her as the black Streisand, a position that she's clearly confident with, and maybe even beats Barbara on the vocal tip too. Titles include "Funny Girl", "The Music That Makes Me Dance", "Don't Rain On My Parade", "People", "Cornet Man", "His Love Makes Me Beautiful", "Sadie Sadie", and "I'm The Greatest Star" – the last of which would make a nice theme song for Diana's 70s years! This expanded version not only marks the first time the record has been on CD – it also features both the stereo and the mono mixes of the record – plus the original recording of the album, with Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong – the real Supremes recording of the set! There's also five more bonus tracks – "Cornet Man (alt)", "His Love Makes Me Beautiful (alt)", "Sadie Sadie (alt)", "I'm The Greatest Star (live TCB outtake)", and "My Man (live)".
mardi 29 septembre 2020
lundi 28 septembre 2020
samedi 26 septembre 2020
vendredi 25 septembre 2020
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