They did it again. Another brilliant collection of modern soul meets house meets funk meets groove from Reel People Records. Gospel queen Kim Burrell opens this superb compilation with a housey track from her 2015 album “A Different Place” to be followed by one of my personal highlights of the set: “Something”, a relaxing, fantastically…
DePhazz are back with an album that features five different vocalists, with Pat Appleton, longtime lead singer for the group, contributing five pieces, the cool and relaxed opening track “Used” among them. Other vocalists on the album are Barbara Lahr (also a longtime contributor), Angel J., Jutta Glaser, and Cherry Sanders. Barbara’s distorted vocal on…
If you are an avid reader of liner notes like I am, it is always gratifying to see the names of Dennis Collins or Alfa Anderson pop up on the list of background singers like on Valerie Ghent‘s new album “Velours”. Dennis Collins, for example, has recorded with just about everyone from Roberta Flack to…
This album comes close to improvised perfection. The way Duane Eubanks (trumpet), Dezron Douglas (bass), and Eric McPherson (drums) expose themselves on this intimate live trio recording is simply the epitome of what this music is all about. It is also a brisk change from his equally inspiring last album, “Things Of That Particular Nature” (see…
Here is a great reissue – an album recorded in 1979 by vibraphonist, pianist, and singer Ted Coleman. The whole sound here is a brilliant mix where Roy Ayers meets Lonnie Liston Smith. And there is a heavy dose of Cal Tjader, too, with a lot of Latin influences throughout. The opening cut “Can You Feel It”…
German singer Synje Norland writes and produces her own music, writes film scores, and directs her own videos. And now comes up with her new album “Who Says I Can’t?”, somehow describing her own situation since she is trying to do most of her artistic work on her own and doesn’t necessarily accepts any outside…
The Soul Togetherness crew has come up with the fourth Philadelphia sound collection and with 17 more cuts that were recorded outside of the famous Philadelphia International Records. The amount of obscure, rare, and hard-to-find cuts on this volume is astonishing. Even if you’ve been an avid collector for over 35 years, a lot of…
Here is an album that can only be enjoyed in its entirety – it is a suite-like set of tunes with lyrics and wordless vocals by singer Sabeth Pérez and also includes several little interludes to loosen it all up. Its atmospheric stance is what makes it a worthwhile listen. Saxophonist Marc Doffey and his…
Matthew Kaminski, Hammond organist from Atlanta, opens his new live set with a Brian Wilson tune: “Sail On Sailor” is a solid, soulful, blues-inflected showcase of his forceful and sometimes exuberant style and has an effective tenor sax solo by Will Scruggs, too. Lou Donaldson‘s “Hot Dog”, originally from Lou’s 1969 Blue Note LP of…
Just a few months after the release of their 17th album “In Search Of Better Days”, three albums by UK jazz/funk troupe Incognito have now been reissued with a few additional cuts: the 2002 album “Who Needs Love”, 2004’s “Adventures in Black Sunshine” and “Eleven” from 2005. And to hear those three albums again back…