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Yearly Archives: 2016
Rasputin Stash: Devil Made Me Do It [BBE]
Rare Chicago soul from Rasputin Stash, a group created by Martin Dumas Jr. “Devil Made Me Do It” is filled with vintage seventies funk. Highlights include “You’re So Special” filled with blistering horns and soft vocal harmonies. “Middle Man” has a nice mid-tempo guitar groove and piano melody that has been sampled by rapper Jon Wayne. While the vocals aren’t memorable the soulful rhythms and funky grooves will keep your head nodding to it. This is certainly worth checking out.
Kaytronix: Thee Album [R2]
Kaytronix another alias for Kris Klayton, better known as Karizma has mesmerized us with his House music remixes and shows over the years, He also proves that he is a master of the edits as well. “Thee Album” is a catalogue of edits ranging from hip-hop to house and more. He displays a clever approach on “Ain’t No”, lifting a sample of the First Choice disco classic “Love Thang”. The futuristic pulsating beats of “I Say” is another highlight. “Never Go” is an emotive tune laced with hip-hop beats strings and heavenly vocals. With seventeen tracks in all there is much to savor whether you’re a DJ looking to drop some beats into your set or simply for your listening pleasure.
Deep Street Soul: Come Alive! [Freestyle]
The third LP, “Come Alive!” from the Australia based group Deep Street Soul is raw funk in it’s purest form. Indeed the ten track LP packs a punch with gritty grooves and stellar vocal performances. The group’s main vocalist Mighty May Johnson sets the disc in motion by ripping through the organ grinding funk of “Done Me Wrong”. Melbourne native Joshua Tavares strums the heart strings with stirring ballad “The Hardest Part Is Knowing”. Fellow Australian Kylie Audist delivers her powerful vocals on the mid-tempo funky burner “Love On Tap”. If you like your funk straight with no chaser then you need this in your collection.
Elaine Correa: Rumba Con Flores [Movimentos]
On her debut, Elianne Correa demonstrates that she’s an talented pianist and composer. “Rumba Con Flores” is an eight track LP is woven by her love of Jazz, soul and Afro Cuban rhythms. That fabric is felt right from the start with “Wemilere”, a pleasant tune filled with bata drums and a Yoruba prayer courtesy of Cuban Rumba player Gerardo de Armas and vocalist Manuela Panizzo. Cuban trova Yanaysa Prieto and British Congolese Binisa Bonner are the other vocelists on this date. Prieto sings lead on a number of tracks here. Among those include the standout “Rumba Con Flores” and “Aftertaste”, the latter is certainly influenced by Correa’s love of soul music and is filled with warm and melodic rhythms. Bonner’s soulful harmonies provide the perfect compliment Prieto’s vocals throughout the recordings. This is a delightful debut that delivers a slice of Cuba while seamlessly fusing other genres as well. Superb musicianship and blissful vocals stamps this as a must have. Correa certainly shapes up as an artist to keep on your radar.
The James Hunter Six: Hold On! [Daptone]
James Hunter’s style is steeped in classic 60s soul and he has been winning over listeners with his warm and gritty voice since 2006. That’s when his LP “People Gonna Talk” dropped and soared to number one on the Billboard chart. Now with his third album and first for Daptone records he’s poised to expand his fan base. The James Hunter Six bring the heat on this ten track release starting with “Hold On”, the first single and “Free Your Mind”, two notable up-tempo highlights.. The horn section is crisp, the beat is tight and Hunter’s voice is full of warmth and grit. Ladies beware, your temperature may rise with ballads like “Light Of My Life” and “In The Dark”. Both filled with heartfelt lyrics of love and affection. UK fans already know about the talented Mr Hunter and thanks to Daptone everyone else will recognize as well.
Sly Johnson: The Mic Buddah [Heavenly Sweetness]
“The Mic Buddah” is the full length release from the multi-talented Parisian native Sly Johnson. Best known for his wide range of skills as a singer, beat-boxer and rapper. Aside from the intro “Ouverture” where he provides a glimpse of his superb beat-boxing skills. Johnson allows his rich soulful vocals to do most of the heavy lifting and that’s more than enough, Highlights include “Everybody’s Dancin'” laced with infectious beats and thumping bass grooves. “Why” is another delight, a hazy down-tempo tune. Vocalist Rachel Claudio drops poignant spoken word lyrics and trumpeter Eric Truffaz melodic phrasings is the icing on the cake. .”Music” is filled with blissful samba rhythms while Magic Malik steps in with warm flute melodies, Malian rapper Oxmo Puccino displays exceptional flow and is a perfect fit for this track. Gritty vocals wrapped around soulful hip-hop textures will grip your hips to force you to move. Johnson is a talent whose star can only get brighter with releases like this.
Various Artists: If Music Presents – You Need This [BBE]
“You Need This”,is a hand picked collection of rare gems from If Music label head Jean Claude. This compilation includes an array of spiritual jazz recordings from a host of highly respected musicians slightly off the radar but worth your attention nonetheless Among the highlights are “He’s Gone”, composed by Trombonist Charles Greenlee, which features Jean Carn on vocals. Out of all the musicians here, Saxophonist John Stubblefield may be the best known due to his work with Charles Mingus among others. His composition “Going Home” is an engaging tune layered with inspired soloing from a sorely underrated band that included pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer Victor Lewis. “Saudi”, is filled with fluid and atmospheric soloing courtesy of drummer Lenny McBrowne. This superb compilation is just another reminder of the deep well of hard bop recordings waiting to be rediscovered. A real treat that deserves your attention..
Ed Motta: Perpetual Gateways [Musthavejazz]
For pianist Ed Motta, “Perpetual Gateways” is the gateway between his love of soul and jazz and just so happens to be his first US recording. Motta has assembled an impressive group of musicians, notably pianist Patrice Rushen, drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Greg Phillanganes and many more. Among the highlights are “Hypochondriac’s Fun”, a jazz infused pop tune reminiscent of Motta’s previous release “AOR”. Those recordings undoubtedly inspired by Motta’s admiration for Steely Dan. “Heritage Deja Vu” is another highlight filled with warm melodic Rhodes and Motta’s powerful albeit soothing vocals. The midpoint of the disc segues into the jazz phase and the band stretches out as evidenced on “I Remember Julie”. Motta displays his improvisational vocal dexterity while Trumpeter Curtis Taylor’s colorful phrasings add another layer of pleasure. “Overblown Overweight” is another delight augmented by Motta’s scat singing. Originally known as a pop soul singer, Motta’s ascension into the jazz arena is seamless and this recording is nothing short of tremendous.
Marta Ren and The Groovelvets: Stop, Look, Listen [Record Kicks]
Hailing from Oporto, Portugal. Marta Ren burst onto the scene with the 2012 hit single “2 Kinds Of Men”. That funky soul burner drew a lot of attention as a classic soul chanteuse with a powerful voice. She follows up that appetizer with the full length LP “Stop, Look & Listen”. Accompanied by the funk band The Groovelvets, they deliver plenty of revved up soul as evidenced by the opening track “I’m not your regular woman”. Ren shows her softer side on the slow burning funk tune “Smiling Faces” but don’t be fooled, she takes no prisoners on the slow and simmering “So Long”. The Groovelvets show they’re more than capable of laying down the groove and stretch out on instrumental “Be Ma Fela”. A voice that belies her age, Marta will command your attention and you’ll give in willingly.
St Germain: St Germain [Nonesuch]
Fifteen years is a long gap between album releases, especially when your previous LP is the critically acclaimed “Tourist”. For DJ/Producer Ludovic Navarre better known as St Germain it was necessary to go in another direction As a result he embarked on an inspirational path that led him to the rhythms of West Africa and the blues. This creative journey has culminated into an extraordinary collaboration with Malian guitarist Guimba Kouyate. The new self-titled LP showcases Navarre’s superb use of loops and sampling in conjunction with strong musicianship from Kouyate and others. “Real Blues” is a myriad of rhythms ranging from the wooden vibe like Balafon to Kouyate’s electric guitar riffs. Not to mention the sampling of Lightnin’ Hopkins. “Sittin Here” is bursting with infectious percussion and Kouyate’s soloing and vocals. “How Dare You”once again features Kouyate’s vocals alongside the sampled vocals of Lightnin’ Hopkins. This union of the Blues and the music of Mali feels like a perfect marriage. In addition Navarre’s superb use of electronics complements the compositions as opposed to overpowering it. Make no mistake, this is a tremendous achievement.
Gerardo Frisina: Olympia [Schema Records]
“Olympia” is where Jazz and Brazilian rhythms meet and proceed to heat up the dance floor DJ/Producer Gerardo Frisina fuses his production skills, particularly his clever use of samples along with his love of Brazilian music. The five track EP is bookend by two uptempo bass driven tunes. The title track is driven by a soaring piano melody and vocal samples. The latter “Obsession” layered with tasty vibes and congas. “Talking Sticks” is filled with funky wah wah guitar and organ rhythms, capped off a seductive baritone sax solo. One year after the LP release “Movement”, Frisina continues to experiment with a variety of sounds that will seduce you not only to dance but to listen over and over.
The Haggis Horns: What Comes To Mind [Haggis Records]
The Haggis Horns have been serving up their brand of funky horn arrangements to a long list of artists like Mark Ronson, Corrine Bailey Rae and The New Mastersounds, with whom they first premiered. With their third lp, entitled “What Comes To Mind” , they have solidified themselves as a funk and soul band capable of laying down the grooves to make you move. Evidence lies with tunes like “Give Me Something Better” featuring vocalist John McCallum. Lucinda Slim, the other featured vocalist adds some spice to “I Can’t Stop This Feeling”. “Keep On Bumpin” is reminiscent of early seventies boogie funk. Prominent backing vocals and exciting horns make this a worthy listen for funk and soul enthusiasts.
The New Mastersounds: Made For Pleasure [Legere Recordings]
With their tenth lp “Made For Pleasure”, the Leeds, based group traveled to New Orleans for this recording. It appears they have been inspired by the musical rhythms flowing through the Big Easy. The evidence is steeped in the organ grinding gritty funk of the title track “Made For Pleasure”. On “Fancy” they flip the Iggy Azalea pop hit into a roots reggae rhythmic gem. “Pho Baby” is a warm bluesy soul tune driven by guitarist Eddie Roberts. Cherly Lowry is the guest vocalist steeped in the raw soul lineage of female soul singers before her. She torches three tracks here with “Enough Is Enough” being the standout. The UK quartet remain consistent by delivering straight no chaser funk and soul and hit the mark once again.
Nubiyan Twist: Nubiyan Twist [Wormfood]
Hailing from Leeds London, Nubiyan Twist are a twelve member outfit comprised of musicians, DJs and producers respectively. Their seven track LP fuses Afro-beat, jazz and groove driven music. Vocalist Nubiya Brandon elevates the assortment of arrangements composed here. On “Turu” she waxes poetic over deep grooves and hip-hop flavored beats. “Figure Numatic” is a jazz infused funk gem filled with syncopated funk rhythms. “Shake Me Down” is filled with Afro-beat rhythms aligned with funky horns. A relatively new band with 4 years under their belt, It’s tantalizing to think what they’ll release for an encore.