Category Archives: Soul
CULT CLASSIC: RAMSEY LEWIS- SOLAR WIND.
Cult Classic: Ramey Lewis-Solar Wind. Nowadays, very few recording artists spend sixteen years signed to the same label, but bandleader, composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis signed to Chess Records in 1956, and his band Ramsey Lewis and The Gentlemen Of Swing their debut album later on the Argo Records imprint later that year. This was …
DOUG CARN FEATURING THE VOICE OF JEAN CARN-SPIRIT OF THE NEW LAND.
Doug Carn Featuring The Voice Of Jean Carn-Spirit Of The New Land. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. Doug Carn was one of the first artists that Gene Russell and Dick Schory signed when they founded Black Jazz Records in 1971. His debut solo album Infant Eyes was the nascent company’s third release and featured …
KELLEE PATTERSON-MAIDEN VOYAGE.
Kellee Patterson-Maiden Voyage. Label:Real Gone Music, Format: CD. When pianist Gene Russell and percussionist Dick Schory founded Black Jazz Records in Oakland, California, in 1971, the nascent label’s raison d’être was “to promote the talents of young African American jazz musicians and singers.” This was only part of their vision for their new label. They …
DR JOHN-IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
Dr John-In The Right Place. Label: Get On Down. Format: LP. Very few musicians or bands can be accurately described as an overnight success. That is something that hardly ever exists except in the minds of a few tabloid journalists . The reality is that most bands need to do the hard yards and hone …
VICTOR CHUKWU-AKALAKA-/UNCLE VICTOR CHUKS AND THE BLACK IROKOS-THE POWER.
Victor Chukwu–Akalaka /Uncle Victor Chuks and The Black Irokos–The Power. Label: BBE Africa. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘6th’ November 2020. By 1977, Victor Chukwu was regarded as one of masters of Igbo highlife and over the next two years recorded two of his most important and rarest albums. The first was a solo album Akalaka, …
WHO WAS WILLIAM ONYEAEBOR?
Who Was William Onyeabor? Enigmatic. That was the perfect word to describe synth funk pioneer, William Onyeabor who died on January 16th 2017 aged just seventy. That day, Nigerian music lost a musical pioneer. However, he was also one of the most mysterious, elusive and enigmatic musicians in musical history and much of his life was shrouded in …
KENNY CARTER-SHOWDOWN THE COMPLETE 1966 RCA RECORDINGS.
Kenny Carter-Showdown-The Complete 1966 RCA Recordings. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. When twenty-five year old Kenny Carter signed to RCA Victor in 1965 this was an opportunity for the balladeer to kickstart his career. He had only released two singles in the early sixties but neither Hey Lover nor Will My Baby Be With Me …
STANLEY TURRENTINE-THAT’S WHERE IT’S AT.
Stanley Turrentine-That’s Where It’s At. Label: Blue Note Records. In September 1962, twenty-eight year old saxophonist Stanley Turrentine released That’s Where It’s At which was his fifth album for Blue Note Records. It was his much-anticipated followup to Dearly Beloved which at the time, many critics hailed as his finest album. That’s Where It’s At …
DR JOHN-REMEDIES-RECORD STORE DAY 2020.
Dr John-Remedies-Record Store Day 2020. Label: Get On Down. Format: LP Although Dr John eventually won six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2011, commercial success and critical acclaim didn’t come overnight for the great showman who released thirty studio albums and nine live albums during a career that spanned six decades where his …
RONNIE HEREL PRESENTS NEO SOUL SESSIONS VOL. 1.
Ronnie Herel Presents Neo Soul Sessions Vol. 1. Label: BBE Music. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘9th’ November 2020. DJ and producer Ronnie Herel began DJ-ing in London’s clubs in the eighties, and by the nineties he was already a familiar face as he continued to champion the best in soulful music in Britain. This was …
AMBIANCE-INTO A NEW JOURNEY.
Ambiance-Into A New Journey. Label: BBE MUSIC. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘19th’ September 2020. During the seven year period between 1979 and 1986, Ambiance led by Nigerian born multi-instrumentalist Daoud Abubakar Balewa released six albums on the LA-based private press label Da Mon Records. It was a self-financed business that released short runs of Ambiance’s …
CULT CLASSIC: NKONO TELES-PARTY BEATS.
Cult Classic: Nkono Teles–Party Beats. During Tabansi Records’ long and illustrious history, few people made the same impact as Nkono Teles, who was born in Cameroun, but grew up in Nigeria. That was where in 1952, Chief Tabansi founded the label he lent his name to, Tabansi Records. Three decades later, groundbreaking composer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist …
SOHO SCENE ’66 ‘67-JAZZ GOES MOD.
Soho Scene ’66 ’67-Jazz Goes Mod. Label: Rhythm & Blues Records. During 1966, the mods with their carefully cultivated image were still a familiar sight and sound in towns and cities the length and breadth of Britain as they rode around on their Lambretta or Vespa scooters. They still sported tailor-made suits, button-down collar shirts, thin …
NEW BREED R&B-SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL.
New Breed R&B-Saturday Night Special. Label: Kent Dance. Format: CD. In 2001, Ady Croasdell coined the phrase New Breed R&B when he was compiling a new compilation for Kent Dance. This was New Breed R&B: Soulful 60’s Blues For Today’s Dancers, which featured a selection of songs from the original Kent and Modern labels. When …
SAINT ETIENNE PRESENT SONGS FOR THE FOUNTAIN COFFEE ROOM.
Saint Etienne Present Songs For The Fountain Coffee Room. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Recently, Ace Records released the much-anticipated third instalment in the “Saint Etienne Present” series which are best described as soundtracks for places which are either real and imaginary. This time around, Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs have compiled Saint …
CULT CLASIC: SUPER ELCADOS-TOGETHER IS ALWAYS A GOOD VENTURE-TAMBOURINE PARTY VOLUME 2.
Cult Classic: Super Elcados–Togetherness Is Always A Good Venture-Tambourine Party Volume 2. During the early sixties, a musical revolution took place in Ghana, when musicians started combining elements of West African musical genres including highlife and fuji music which they fused with American funk and jazz. Playing an important part important part in this new …
HELEN SHAPIRO-FACE THE MUSIC: THE COMPLETE SINGLES 1967-1984.
Helen Shapiro-Face The Music: The Complete Singles 1967-1984. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. By the time Helen Shapiro celebrated her twenty-first birthday in 1967 the London-born singer realise had already enjoyed the most successful period of her career. Her rise had been meteoric and was like the script to a Hollywood film. Helen Shapiro was …
CULT CLASSIC: SIDIKU BUARI-DISCO SOCCER.
Cult Classic: Sidiku Buari-Disco Soccer. There are very few people who manage to forge a career in both sport and music, but Ghanian born Sidiku Buari managed to do just this. He was a silver medallist in the 400 metres at the 1963 All-Africa Games held in Dakar, Senegal. Two years later, in 1965, Sidiku …
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