A really amazing little set – 20 classic soul albums from the Atlantic and Stax Records catalogs – a surprisingly well-chosen collection that features some of our favorite albums of the late 60s and early 70s! Each record is presented in a tiny LP-styled sleeve – which is an additional cool feature of this already-great package – and the range of work runs from the early years of 60s soul to the more righteous side of 70s funk! Albums include The Show Must Go On by Sam Dees, Howard Tate by Howard Tate, Doin What We Wanna by Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers, Everything Is Everything by Donny Hathaway, Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin, Soul Of A Bell by William Bell, Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley, Knock On Wood by Eddie Floyd, Soul Finger by Bar-Kays, Hold On I'm Comin by Sam & Dave, When A Man Loves A Woman by Percy Sledge, In The Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding Sings Soul by Otis Redding, Mercy by Don Covay, Under The Boardwalk by The Drifters, Walking The Dog by Rufus Thomas, If You Need Me by Solomon Burke, Don't Play That Song by Ben E King, Green Onions by Booker T & The MGs, and What'd I Say by Ray Charles. ~ Dusty Groove
Soaring spiritual jazz from Larry Stabbins – a reedman you might know from his recent Stonephace project for Tru Thoughts, or for his seminal work in the groups Weekend and Working Week! Yet the sound here is something else entirely – a righteous side of Larry's music we never would have expected back in the 80s – as his tenor and flute are mixed with bold, modal lines that recall some of the contemporary spiritual energy from Matthew Halsall and Nat Birchall on the Gondwana label – music that has a similar sort of early 70s approach! Tracks are long and flowing, and very open – with great solos from Larry and sublime piano from Zoe Rahman – whose tones and timing really give the record a lot of energy. Titles include "Noetic", "Immanence", "Transcendental Euphoria", "Soul Train", "White Queen Psychology", and "Africa". ~ Dusty Groove
Neither pop nor fusion – but a great little record that reminds us why we love William Kurk so much! There's definitely some of the jazzy styles promised by the title, but they're mixed in with Kurk's inventive approach to soul music – warm instrumentation wrapped around compelling lyricism, but in a bouncy, playful way that's light years from the usual! This time around, there's a slight echo of 80s ideals – not so much in the music, which still has lots of 70s warmth – but in the criss-crossing of modes, and in the way that acoustic and electric elements are used together to create a really full sound. Titles include "9 by 3", "Revenge Of Mega Man", "Star Of The Sky", "All Of The Time", "Moonrise", "2012", and "Dragon Force". ~ Dusty Groove