Category Archives: Jazz
GINA CAREY-LIVE, LOVE AND LAUGH
GINA CAREY-LIVE, LOVE AND LAUGH Over the last two years, Gina Carey has been one of the busiest singers in music. What’s been a hectic couple of years, started with the release of Melodic in August 2011, which Gina wrote, arranged and produced. Melodic went on to reach number one in the UK Soul Charts …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH. With BBR Records comprehensive rerelease of the Salsoul back-catalogue due to begin later in August 2012, I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to give everyone a taster of what’s in-store. What better way to do this than with one of The Salsoul Orchestra’s albums How High. How High was …
MARLENA SHAW-WHO IS THIS BITCH ANYWAY?
MARLENA SHAW-WHO IS THIS BITCH ANYWAY? When Marlena Shaw left Cadet Records after the release of her second album The Spice of Life, she became the first woman to sign to the prestigious Blue Note label. During the four years Marlena was signed to Blue Note, she released some of the best music of her …
SAGE MONK-HEARTACHE ALLEGORY.
SAGE MONK-HEARTACHE ALLEGORY. Over the past twenty years, the way people discover, buy and consume music has evolved beyond recognition. Maybe rather than evolution, the best word to describe these changes are revolution. No longer is a record shop people’s first place to look for new music. Instead, it’s the internet. Now downloading is perceived …
THE CRUSADERS-STREET LIFE.
THE CRUSADERS-STREET LIFE. Having started their career as The Jazz Crusaders and releasing their debut album Freedom Sound in 1961, it took a change in name and sound before their music became commercially popular. This transformation occurred in 1971, with The Jazz Crusaders becoming The Crusaders. They released their “debut” album as The Crusaders in …
WAH WAH WATSON-ELEMENTARY.
WAH WAH WATSON-ELEMENTARY. Whenever I listen to music, one thing I always do is look at which musicians play on an album. One man whose played on more sessions than the average musician has had gigs, is the one and only Wah Wah Watson, virtuoso guitarist and a man who weaves that unmistakable wah wah …
ARETHA FRANKLIN-ARETHA.
ARETHA FRANKLIN-ARETHA. By 1978 and the end of Aretha Franklin’s time at Atlantic Records, her career had stalled, lost direction. She wasn’t enjoying the hits that were a regular feature of her early Atlantic. Granted there were occasional bright spots, with Break It To Me Gently, which although it gave Aretha a US R&B number …
DENIECE WILLIAMS-I’M SO PROUD.
DENIECE WILLIAMS-I’M SO PROUD. Sometimes, the difference an experience and talented producer can make to an artist’s career can’t be underestimated. While everyone has their own examples, Deniece Williams certainly felt this when she first met Thom Bell. Instantly, they realized they were musical soul mates. By that time, Thom Bell was a vastly experienced …
THE O’JAYS-TRAVELIN’ AT THE SPEED OF THOUGHT.
THE O’JAYS-TRAVELIN’ AT THE SPEED OF THOUGHT. A year after The O’Jays released Message In the Music, their final album to feature William Powell, The O’Jays would release Travellin’ At the Speed of Thought, their first album featuring their new vocalist Sammy Strain. Given how successful The O’Jays had been since releasing their first album …
RONNIE FOSTER-DELIGHT.
RONNIE FOSTER-DELIGHT. After the release of Ronnie Foster’s previous album, 1978s Love Satellite, Ronnie headed out on the road with George Duke, before accompanying George Benson on one of his tours. On his return home, Ronnie would release the most commercially successful album of his career, Delight. On Delight, which was rereleased by SoulMusic Records …
QUAZAR-QUAZAR.
QUAZAR-QUAZAR. Having spent several years aboard George Clinton’s Mothership Connection, as vocalist and guitarist for Funkadelic and Parliament, Glenn Goins started getting restless being just a side-man for George. He watched other members leave the bands, forming their own successful bands. Soon he too, was considering his future, having played important roles on mid-seventies Funkadelic …
DISCO RECHARGE-TANGERUE/STRANGE AFFAIR.
DISCO RECHARGE-TANGERUE/STRANGE AFFAIR. After the success of Harmless Records’ Disco Discharge series, which celebrated the release of four further volumes in 2012, taking the total to sixteen volumes of the Disco Discharge series, Harmless have launched another new label and series, Disco Recharge. The Disco Recharge series sees Harmless rerelease long out of print classic …
DEXTER WANSEL-TIME IS SLIPPING AWAY.
DEXTER WANSEL-TIME IS SLIPPING AWAY. Mention the name Dexter Wansel, and many people think of the music herwrote, arranged and produced for artists on Philadelphia International Records. The artists that Dexter worked with during his time at Philadelphia International Records reads like a who’s who of Philly Soul. Teddy Pendergrass, The Jacksons, Lou Rawls, The …
ARETHA FRANKLIN-JUMP TO IT.
ARETHA FRANKLIN-JUMP TO IT. Before Jump To It was released in 1982, Aretha Franklin’s career was going through something of a lean spell. It had been six years since Aretha’s last top forty single Something He Can Feel and six years since her 1976 album Sparkle had been certified gold. Since then, Aretha had released …
BILL WITHERS-STILL BILL.
BILL WITHERS-STILL BILL. A year after the release of his debut album Just As I Am, Bill Withers released what would prove to be his most successful album ever, Still Bill. Not only did it build on the success of his debut album Just As I Am, it became the first of two of his …
TEENA MARIE-EMERALD CITY.
TEENA MARIE-EMERALD CITY. Having released four albums for Motown between 1979 and 1981, three of which had been certified gold, Lady T, Teena Marie had signed for Epic after a prolonged and bitter contract dispute that cost her over one-million dollars in legal fees. Her first album for Epic had been 1983s Robbery, which reached …
RONNIE FOSTER-LOVE SATELLITE.
RONNIE FOSTER-LOVE SATELLITE. Between 1972 and 1975, Ronnie Foster released four studio albums and one live album for the legendary Blue Note label. His debut album was 1972s critically acclaimed The Two Headed Freap, before releasing the funk drenched Sweet Revival in 1973. It saw Ronnie interpret ten tracks, including The O’Jays classic Back Stabbers …
ROBERTA FLACK-FIRST TAKE.
ROBERTA FLACK-FIRST TAKE. Mention Roberta Flack‘s name, and most people automatically think of two songs, The First Time I Saw Your Face and Killing Me Softly. The story of First Take is one where if fate hadn’t intervened, might have resulted in the album forever remaining a hidden gem. Having been released in 1969, First Take …
EARTH, WIND AND FIRE-THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD.
EARTH, WIND AND FIRE-THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD. If I were to ask which group during a ten year period between 1973 and 1983 released nine albums in the US, resulting in two album certified gold, plus three platinum, two double platinum and two triple platinum in the US, how many people answer Earth, …
HEATWAVE-TOO HOT TO HANDLE.
HEATWAVE-TOO HOT TO HANDLE. Having spent several years playing London’s club circuit, Heatwave signed to Epic Records in 1975. What would was a three year period where Heatwave released three albums, two of which were certified platinum and one gold. This remarkable run started with 1976s Too Hot To Handle, which reached number eleven in …
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