Tuesday, October 22, 2013

8 CLASSIC NORMAN CONNORS ALBUMS REISSUED

NORMAN CONNORS – INVITATION

Norman Connors at the top of his game – working here with backing from his own Starship Orchestra, in a groove that's completely funky, deeply soulful, and touched with a fair bit of jazz as well! The album's a great summation of all the sounds that Connors had crafted on previous records with a wider range of players – but really comes into sharp focus here with help from lead vocalist Adaritha – a singer who's got this sublime range that rivals Minnie Riperton on Capitol Records, but which also carries some of the deeper tones of Jean Carn's previous work with Norman. The album's well-balanced between mellow moments and jazzy groovers – all handled with the classic Connors sense of sophistication and class – and titles include the great groover "Be There In The Morning", the slow jamming "Handle Me Gently", plus the tracks "Your Love", "I Have A Dream", "Disco Partido", and "Invitation". CD features bonus 7" mixes of "Your Lov" and "She's Gone". ~ Dusty Groove
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NORMAN CONNORS – SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

A brilliant mix of soul and jazz from the legendary Norman Connors – a key album in breaking Norman out back in the 70s – and a record that's still pretty darn perfect all these many years later! You can hear Connors' deep roots throughout the set – but they're often used towards a more sophisticated soul agenda, too – blending in elements of jazz vocals and modern R&B, at a level that so many other artists would copy in years to come – but which Norman virtually helped invent with this landmark album! There's some mellow moments on the record that are every bit as wonderful as the funky ones – some laidback tracks that feature sublime vocals from Jean Carn, pre-Philly – and which also really introduce the soul side of Michael Henderson – an artist who most folks had previously known as a bass player. Connors mixes the funky and the smooth at a level that rivals the best Roy Ayers material of the same time – and titles include the massive hit "Valentine Love" – plus "Saturday Night Special", "Kwasi", "Dindi", "Akia", "Skin Diver", and a sweet version of "Maiden Voyage"! CD features bonus 7" mixes of "Saturday Night Special" and "Valentine Love". ~ Dusty Groove
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NORMAN CONNORS - ROMANTIC JOURNEY

A warmly romantic journey from the stellar Norman Connors – but a set that's also got a fair bit of spiritual jazz undercurrents too! Norman's at that perfect Starship point in his career – giving equal space to the vocals and instrumental passages on the record – at a level that perfectly sums up his unique, sophisticated blend of jazz and soul! The sublime Eleanor Mills sings on some key cuts – a singer we love from her earlier New Jersey soul sides – and Prince Phillip Mitchell handles the male leads, with a level of class that even goes beyond his own records. Reeds are handled by Gary Bartz and Pharoah Sanders – both players who bring in a nice sort of depth to the record – and Sanders really sparkles on a remake of his classic "Thembi", taken in a mellow stepping tone, as well as a reading of Gato Barbieri's "Last Tango In Paris". The whole album's wonderful – and other titles include "Once I've Been There", "Romantic Journey", "Destination Moon", "For You Everything", and "You Are Everything". CD features bonus 7" mixes of "Once I've Been There" and "For You Everything". ~ Dusty Groove

NORMAN CONNORS – TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT

Killer work from the mighty Norman Connors – a set that's heavy on grooves, but which has all the jazzy depth of his early work too! The set features arrangements by some killer modern soul talents – Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – who beautifully blend their own sweet touches with Connors' rich ideas – carried out here with some sublime vocals by Al Johnson himself, plus work from Jean Carn, Glenn Johnson, Adaritha, and The Jones Girls too! The instrumental vibe is as strong as well – with great solos from Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Gary Bartz on alto – and the combination of all these talents alone is testament to the continuing great vision of Norman Connors – one of the few cats who could make an album like this work so well! Titles include a great version of Steely Dan's "Black Cow", plus "Melancholy Fire", "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else". CD features three bonus tracks – "Melancholy Fire (7" mix)", "Take It To The Limit (12" mix)", and "Take It To The Limit (7" mix)".  ~ Dusty Groove

NORMAN CONNORS – YOUR ARE MY STARSHIP / NORMAN CONNORS PRESENTS AQUARIAN DREAM

Sublime sounds from the mighty Norman Connors – two classics on a single CD! You Are My Starship is a masterpiece of mellow soul and jazzy grooves from the groundbreaking Connors – an album that sails to the stars on a sweet blend of mellow moments and more upbeat tracks too! The record features some crucial vocal talents from Michael Henderson and Phyllis Hyman – both relative newcomers here, and making a great transition from jazz to soul with Connors help – hitting this amazing territory that would inform countless other artists in years to come – but never be done again this well! The instrumentation is wonderful, too – schooled in the jazz roots of Connors' music – and featuring Gary Bartz on alto, and both Hubert Eaves and Onaje Allen Gumbs on keyboards. Titles include the seminal title cut "You Are My Starship" – one of the best late night slowjams ever – plus remakes of "The Creator Has a Master Plan" and "Betcha By Golly Wow" – and the cuts "So Much Love", "Just Imagine", and "We Both Need Each Other". Norman Connors Presents Aquarian Dream is a wonderful debut from Aquarian Dream – a group who first appeared under the direction of Norman Connors – and who also have lots of the same blend of jazz, soul, and funk you'd find in Connors' own music of the time! Yet Aquarian Dream are very much their own bag, too – a distinctly different group who are to Connors what Ramp was to Roy Ayers – a separate entity that shares the key production talents of their sponsor – but who break out in a wonderful vibe that's all their own! The album's best remembered for its key clubby groovers, but we also love the mellower moments too – which have a sublime stepping quality that really comes through via instrumentation from Claude Bartee on tenor and soprano sax, and Jacques Burvick on a whole host of cool keyboards. Gloria Jones (not the famous one) is a great lead singer – and titles include the classic Chicago club track "Phoenix" – plus "Look Ahead", "Once Again", "Let Me Be The One", "I'll Always Love You T", and "Treat Me Like The One You Love". ~ Dusty
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NORMAN CONNORS – LOVE FROM THE SUN / SLEWFOOT

A pair of early gems from Norman Connors – back to back on a single CD! Love From The Sun is a spiritual jazz masterpiece from drummer Norman Connors – one of those unique albums he cut before moving into soul music – done at a level that rivals the early 70s genius on labels like Strata East or Impulse Records! Connors worked with many contemporaries on those labels, and gets a good degree of help from them here, too – in a massive lineup that includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Gary Bartz on alto, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Buster Williams on bass, Bill Summers on drums, and even Dee Dee Bridgewater on a bit of vocals too! With a lineup like that, it would be easy to lay back and just do nothing – but you can really hear Connors' musical vision taking the lead – that warmly soulful approach that was there right from the start, given some great focus here by producer Skip Drinkwater. Tracks are all long, and free-flowing – a bit out at times, but always returning to the modal pulse of Connors' soulful rhythms. Titles include "Carlos II", "Kumakucha", "Holy Waters", "Revelation", and "Love From The Sun". Slewfoot is a really bold step forward for Norman Connors – a set that's still got all the spiritual jazz elements of his roots, but which also adds in some more soul and funk elements too! Jean Carn delivers some wonderful vocals on the record – at a level that's much more like her early Black Jazz recordings with Doug Carn, than her later Philly soul sides – and Connors heads up a killer instrumental group that features reeds from Hubert Laws, Carlos Garnett, and Gary Bartz – plus wicked keyboards from Reggie Lucas and percussion from Dom Um Romao too! The fusion players are all super-sharp – and really make the whole album crackle wonderfully throughout – on a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks that include "Mother Of The Future", "Slew Foot", "Dreams", "Chuka", "Back On The Street", and "Jump Street". ~ Dusty Groove


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