FERTILE GROUND - BLACK IS
Fertile Ground is probably the best full band of
their generation, and their live sound and horns add an extra dimension to
their music. 'Black Is…' is strong a candidate for album of the year that
will appeal to lovers of 'neo' Soul and Jazz. Navasha Daya's vocals drip
with Soul and she shines on tracks like the lilting 'Yellow Daisies' and
the soulful 'You'. Check also the brooding slow Funk of 'Changing Woman'.
The uplifting 'Live In The Light' with its danceable mix of Soul and Jazz
is fantastic, but it is the beautiful hypnotic title song, which is truly
outstanding and is one of the songs of this (indeed any) year. Please note
the vinyl has 7 of the 14 album tracks.
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TIM BOWMAN - THIS IS WHAT I HEAR
Tim's relaxed guitar playing sounds like Benson at his best.
Grooves like 'Dance' (feat Nelson Rangel) and 'Summer Groove' are Smooth
Jazz grooves par excellence, whilst the slower, funkier 'Candy's Groove'
is an incessant riff laden cut. Tim also infuses Gospel and the beautiful
'Angels' sung by Kayla Parker. '225' is a slowish Jazz Funk on which the
Benson analogy is wholly appropriate.
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TOSHI KUBOTA - TIME TO SHARE
Soul with a slight RnB tinge, though this album certainly has
quality written all over it. Check the stand out mid-tempo groover 'Hold
Me Down' with Angie Stone duetting with Toshi. Angie co-wrote several of
the tunes like 'Beating Of My Heart'., though 'Living For Today' is a 2
Stepper sampling Willie Hutch's 'I Sho Can Give You Love' and 'Neva
Satisfied' is a groove and a half.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS - SOUL TOGETHERNESS 2004 CD/DOUBLE LP
The fifth in this
excellent series and possibly the strongest yet, features both new and
classic modern soul dancers. Best of the newer tracks are Sunburst Band's
anthem 'Everyday', Mike Jimenez 'Blessed', Venus Tribe 'Slow Down'
(sounding like Ledisi), Benita Arteberry's gospel tinged 'Don't Look Down
(On Your Brother)' and Trina Broussard's unreleased 'Not Around'. Classics
include John Gary Williams 'Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy', Bill Harris
'Am I Cold Am I Hot' and We The People 'Making My Daydream Real'. If you
are into modern soul this album is Essential. Also available Soul
Togetherness 2000-2003 CD £13.95 DLP £14.95 each
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GWENDOLYN JOY - LOVE IS
Eagerly
anticipated debut from Gwendolyn (Gwen Scales) - highlights include the
great jazzy floater 'What I See In You' and the organic 'Vanilla Tree'.
'Lets Get Real' is a nice bouncy sax led groover, while the funky 'Up And
Down' is influenced by Marvin's 'Inner City Blues'. Also check the
inspirational title track, showing Gwen's sweet soulful voice off. Nice
album, Strong throughout.
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RAPHAEL SAADIQ - RAY RAY
Follow up to the popular 'Instant Vintage'
album has a quasi - Blaxpliotation movie concept as evidenced by 'Ray Ray
Theme' feat Joi and the mid tempo 'Rifle Love' with members of his former
groups Toni Tony Tone/Lucy Pearl. On 'Grown Folks' Raphael sounds not
unlike Curtis and this is probably the highlight of the album, although
the catchy up-tempo 'Detroit Girl' and 'I Want You Back' are also strong.
Also available 'Instant Vintage
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O'JAYS - IMAGINATION CD
Another of the legendary vocal groups makes a
welcome return with their best album in two decades. The stand-out tracks
are the catchy dancer 'Chauvinistic', the mid tempo floaters 'Made It
Back' and the title track. But as ever the O'Jays excel on the ballads and
there are many to choose from here 'Make Up', 'Why You Wanna Settle For
Less' and 'I Would Rather Cry.' Classic soul from one of the classic soul
groups.
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NORMAN BROWN - WEST COAST COOLIN
There is no finer exponent of Smooth Jazz
electric guitar, and this consistent yet varied album shows why. If you
like relaxed grooves that exude summery good-time vibes then this is for
you. From the Benson-ish 'Up N At Em', the fluid 'Let's Play' or the
D'Angelo-ish Soul of 'I Might', there are gems aplenty - check also the
cover of Marvin's 'What's Going On'.
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MARC MOULIN - ENTERTAINMENT
Another strong album from the Belgium keyboard
wizard. This will appeal to those who liked the Nicola Conte album. 'Easy'
has that cool swinging jazz feel with a hint of Grant Green, Silver (who
stole the groove) and 'What was it again' are also foot tapping dancers in
a St Germain type groove. Superb Jazz dance with a studio band playing
over jazzy House rhythms. Excellent follow-up to the sensational 'Top
Secret' CD still available at £13.95.
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ROY HARGROVE - STRENGTH EP
Roy's 'Hard Groove' was one of THE albums of
2003, and 'Strength' carries on magnificently where that masterpiece left
off. Trumpeter Roy is fast establishing himself as the funkiest jazz man
of his generation (like Herbie in the 70's). 6 tracks of tough, funk jazz
grooves, highlighted by 'For Fun' featuring Omar, the soulful almost two
stepper title track, the Incognito-ish party dancer 'Universe' and the
Afro beat 'Rich Man's Welfare'. Brilliant and contender for Jazz album of
this year. We still have copies of 'Hard Groove' CD £14.95 DLP £14.95
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GARY BARTZ - ANTHOLOGY
12 of the most indemand and best tracks from one
of the great underground jazz artists of the 70's. Gary recorded some
tracks with Andy Bey (featured on the recent Intuit album), three of which
are featured here, inc. The unmissable 'Celestial Blues',. Also featured
are the jazz dance favourites 'Dr Follow's Dance' and 'I've Known Rivers',
plus some of his work with the Mizell Brothers, namely, 'Music Is My
Sanctuary', 'Sea Gypsy' and Gentle Smiles' (sampled by Tribe Called Qwest)
Another essential Anthology of a greatly under appreciated artist.
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VARIOUS ARTISTS - AFRICAN SPIRITS
This unique album consists of 10 tracks
reflecting back to Africa - the motherland, the roots of jazz , black
music and the ancestors of the musicians. Each of these 'spiritual' tracks
are in demand in their own right most being compiled for the first time,
being some of the best music of its type ever recorded. The combination of
these tracks together with the cover artwork creates an album with its own
aura, which will have a profound impact, and be one of the most
significant releases on the label. 'Spiritual Jazz' has attained a
world-wide underground popularity over recent years as evidenced by the
success of our own Leon Thomas Anthology, compilations of the Strata East,
Black Jazz and Flying Dutchman labels and recent albums from 'Intuit' and
'Build An Ark' (featuring Nate Morgan included on this compilation).
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...CONTINUED...
It has been championed by taste making DJ's like Gilles Peterson,
Kevin Beadle and Russ Dewsbury. The music contained on this album is
accessible to a wider audience and whilst being groove driven in places
has a warm, melodic and uplifting feel which makes it stand out. The
incredible musicianship from some of the genre's leading players, Pharoah
Sanders, Archie Shepp, Carlos Garnett , vocals from Dee Dee Bridgewater,
Sathema B Benjamin and Julie Dexter combine with poetry from Haki
Madhubuti to create an outstanding album. The beautiful 'Days Gone By' by
Moe Koffman was cleverly sampled by Jill Scott on her hit 'Slowly Surely'.
ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL
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ANITA
BAKER - MY EVERYTHING
One of THE great female soul artists makes a welcome return 10
years after her last album sounding just like she did before. The Quality
hits you right from the opener 'You're My Everything', and 'In My Heart'
and continues throughout the album. The really special thing about Anita
is her rich voice and that's on top form here, with the big intro's and
arrangements, maybe a little predictable but still great to have her
back
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MAYSA
- SMOOTH SAILING
A
return to form for the Incognito lead singer, with her forth album being
one of her strongest. The lead off track the bouncy mid tempo dancer
'Hypnotic Love' will be massive on the radio and in the clubs. The title
track is in a similar vien and along with the punchy 'Scat World'
featuring Ledisi, and the mid tempo ballad 'All Day Long' and 'Soul Child'
produced by Bluey standout on this quality album.
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NICOLA
CONTE -OTHER DIRECTIONS
Another great latin tinged cool jazz album from Italy
following on the heels of Gerardo Frisina's epic 'Hi Note'. The vocal
tracks have shades of Koop, but the instrumentation is far better and it
really swings. 'Impulso', 'Dharma Buma' and his version of 'Nefertiti'
really kick, but the standout is the dance floor killer 'Kind Of
Sunshine'. Think classic 60's Blue Note, but with a very 'Now'
sound.
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STEPHANIE MILLS - BORN TO THIS
Ms Mills returns with her first secular CD in
many years. No disguising her fantastic voice on this selection of RnB
tinged Soul cuts. Mainly downtempo the standouts are 'Healing Time', &
the opener 'For You'. Touches of Mary J on tracks like
'Free'
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INCOGNITO - ADVENTURES IN BLACK SUNSHINE
A new Incognito set is like breath of
fresh air & 'Adventures..' is no exception. Maysa makes a welcome
return & reaches sublime levels on 'The Principles Of Love', 'True To
Myself' & the Latin tinged 'Everything Your Heart Desires'. Check also
the Fela tribute 'Listen To The Music' on which George Duke guests. Also
try the Jazz Funk instrumental '25th Chapter'. Fantastic A must buy.
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VAL
WATSON - URBAL
Mix
of warm, bass driven mid-tempo cuts & outrageous 'dirty' Funk grooves.
Ex Club Nouveau vocalist hits a mellow vibe on the jaunty 'Days Like
This', the mid-tempo 'Earth Wind & Fire'& the beautiful 'Flower'
feat George Duke & Gerald Albright. George Clinton puts in a cameo
performance on the slowish P Funk of 'Do What Comes Funky', the heavy duty
'Real Do Doo' or the 80's style 'Soul Shack'.
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ROBIN DUHE - DO IT DUHE
Ex Maze bass player mixes 80's &
contemporary Soul with smooth-ish Jazz. Standout is the mid-tempo Maze-ish
'Real Deal' feat Michael Jeffries sounding like Frankie Beverly, the
instrumental 'Miles n Miles' & the laid-back 'When We're Makin
Love'.
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TEMPTATIONS - LEGACY
Return to form for the legendary harmony group now feat G C
Cameron. Part produced by Steve Harvey - probably their best for 30 years.
'Still Tempting' & the infectious 'Round Here' are reminiscent of
their Norman Whitfield sound yet contemporary. The midtempo cuts 'All The
Way People', 'Why Can't We Be Lovin Friends' & 'Something Special' are
also highlights. One of THE albums of 2004.
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MICHAEL COOPER - ARE WE COOL
Ex Con Funk Shun guitarist delivers a nice set
full of mid-tempo groovers like the dreamy 'Since I Had You', the Maze
like 'Are We Cool' & the RnB tinged 'Steppin To A Love Song' & the
Cameo-ish 'Butter Luv' Also check 'Marry Me Again' - excellent Soul
album.
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PORTRAIT - SHARE MY LOVE
Long awaited set from Soul/RnB harmony super
group. For lovers of independent mid-tempo 90's style Soul/RnB then this
set is a fine exponent. 'Satisfy' is rightfully gaining plaudits as is
similarly paced riff laden 'Let's Dance'. 'Share My Love' hits a RnB
groove, whilst there are several nice slightly slower & more laid-back
songs to savour..
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BONEY
JAMES - PURE
Boney
returns with his unique blend of Smooth jazz & Soul/RnB. Instrumental
tracks like 'Pure', the Gato Barbieri tinged '2:01am' & the driving
'Stone Groove' feat Joe sample show Boney at his sleekest & his
playing at its most soulful. Vocal contributions from Bilal ('Better With
Time') & Dwele ('Break Of Dawn') illustrate that Boney is the master
of mixing Soul & the smooth. Highly recommended
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EMERALD JADE - NEW SOUL CLASSIC
Great jazzy organic debut - contemporary yet
retro. 'Delirous' is reminiscent of late 70's/ early 80's Roy Ayers mid
tempo love song. 'Tippin' is a more 'Organic' track, but the album is
strong throughout.
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SUNBURST BAND - UNTIL THE END OF TIME
Back for their 2nd stab at Boogie
perfection. Joey Negro brings together a stella band for a soulful jazzy
experience. Standout is the mega 'Everyday', but check the wonderfully
upbeat 'Until The End Of Time', the slower 'Twinkle' feat Linda Clifford.
& the single 'Fly Away'. If you love the early 80's Salsoul sound then
this is for you.
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GENO YOUNG - GHETTO SYMPHONY
Nice Organic/ indie album from N'Dambi/Carmen
Rodgers producer. Vocally similar to Omar in places, Geno really shines on
the Organic floater 'Honeydew', 'Man With The Love' and two different
takes of 'On Broadway', the jazzier one being the stand out track,
although the album is strong throughout
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RUBY ANDREWS - JUST LOVING YOU
Cracking review of the bulk of Ruby's output for
Zodiac, including of course, the anthemic 'Just Loving You' + 27 other
tracks that traverse deep soul with funkier numbers. Great
collection
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JILL SCOTT - BEAUTIFULLY HUMAN
Outstanding album and strong candidate for Soul
album of the year. 'Beautifully Human' represents an evolution from her
first album of five years ago. Her vocals are stronger, the tracks better
and the lyrics sharper. ‘Golden' is one of the catchiest funky/organic
tracks ever and one of the best this year. 'Family Reunion' is an awesome
mid tempo soul ballad with great lyrics, and 'Bedda At Home' a big beat
jazzy groove. The album is strong throughout and is an essential purchase
to anyone into soul music in 2004.
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VARIOUS - Disco Connection VOL 2
2nd Installment in the series w/choice cuts like
Mass Production's Cosmic Lust, Herbie Mann's version of HiJack,
Ashford/Simpson's Bourgie Bourgie + Trammps That's Where the Happy People
Go...all 12" mixes
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COOLYS HOT BOX - DON'T BE AFRAID- GET ON
Cooly's second album hits a funky
Soul groove - not unlike early 90's Brand New Heavies. Angela Johnson's
soulful vocals take centre stage and she graces over half the tracks
including the strongest such as the funky dancer 'Don't Be Afraid', 'After
Life', 'Emotions', 'Time 2B In Love' and 'Are We Lovers Anymore'. Enjoy
this selection of good time funky up-tempo dancers that will keep the
party jumping.
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MIKE JIMENEZ - POWER PROJECT
'Power Project' is a brilliant Soul & Funk
set with overtones of Tower Of Power. Mike excels on cuts like the
mid-tempo groovers 'Someday We'll Get By', the head-nodder 'U Know It' and
the bubbly modern Soul gem 'Blessed'. Ballads like 'Girl Walk Away' and
the cover of Harold Melvin's 'Hope We'll Be Together Soon' illustrate that
the man is drenched in Soul. The album sounds like a Tower album c. Lenny
Williams era. For an independent release, the consistency level is very
high with strong production, 70's style horns and quality vocals.
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TONI REDD - STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
Toni is a new name to us but this strong voiced
female singer sounds not unlike Maysa with hints of Jean Carn, which is a
fair pedigree. Check cuts like the Isleys cover 'Footsteps In The Dark',
the groove led 'Talk About It' and the mid-tempo 'Expectations'. The
gentle stepper 'Open Your Love Baby' also hits the spot.
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AVANI - THE REAL THING
Potentially huge, Avani's fine soulful voice
shines on this selection of UK Soul/RnB tunes the pick of which is the
duet with Rahsaan Patterson/Carl MacKintosh 'Watching You' and the mellow
'Lover's Theme'. The infectious 'Something On My Mind' stands out with its
wicked hook line. Avani is certainly one to watch as she has it all -
voice, personality and charisma….
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SAKAI - DREAM BIG
This lady possesses a voice of purity, beauty and resonance.
Grooves like 'Can't Bring Me Down' and 'Gonna Be Fine' are infectious riff
laden affairs, while the ballad 'Friendship To Love' is simply beautiful,
as is the mystical 'A Place Between'. Unfortunately the more RnB
influenced tracks don't quite match the tone of her voice, but Sakai is a
lady to look out for.
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DENNIS TAYLOR - VERY BEST OF: SMILE
Dennis Taylor is considered the standard bearer
for early 80's Soul and something of an icon in the UK. This compilation
is taken from Dennis' 3 Dome albums and features favourites like 'Smile'
(surely one of the most gorgeous tracks of the last 5 years - simple yet
beautiful), 'Steppin', 'Angel', his version of Patti Labelle's 'Love Need
And Want You' plus 'Over And Over' that did not make the albums.
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CUNNIE WILLIAMS - INSIDE MY SOUL
Cunnie, who sounds not unlike Gil Scott Heron
has consistently produced good albums over the last decade or so with
meaningful lyrics complementing his deep voice perfectly. 'For The
Children' is a moving mid tempo track with a great hook. 'Superstar' and
'Gangster of Love' are good Soul dancers, whilst the more up-tempo 'You
Will Know' is a soulful semi - house dancer. Cunnie is a giant both
physically and metaphorically and definitely worth checking out.
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ANTHONY DAVID - 3 CHORDS AND THE TRUTH
Atlanta based singer, whose CV
includes backing vocals for India Arie, and this album shares many of the
qualities of that fine vocalist's debut including a version India's 'Part
Of My Life' that will make hairs stand on end. Vocally and lyrically
Anthony compares favourably with Terry Callier or Bill Withers; check cuts
like 'Yes', 'Heartstrings' and 'GA Peach'. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - A FUTURE
SOUL STAR IN THE MAKING!
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