Wednesday, October 15, 2014

NEW RELEASES: ERIC DARIUS - RETRO FORWARD; THE ILLUSIONS - LOVE; HEAVY WEATHER - MOVIN' EASY

ERIC DARIUS – RETRO FORWARD

Eric Darius is one of the true rising stars of Smooth/Urban Jazz. Adored by his growing legion of fans, Eric tours constantly with such superstars as Maxwell, Joe, Mary J. Blige, Prince, and many others. Additionally Eric is a mainstay of Smooth Jazz radio, having already had 8 Top 10 hits in his young career. Eric s first single from Retro Forward, a remake of Pharrell s Happy is already climbing up the Smooth Jazz radio charts, and promises to be Top 5 at the time of the album s release. Superstar producers Tony Dixon(Babyface, Beyonce) and Bluetooth (Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks) ensure that Retro Forward is brimming with today s hit sounds while still retaining a firm footing in the world of Jazz. Highlights include Eric s hit single Happy , the heartfelt ballad Never , the funky title track Retro Forward , and much more.~ Amazon

THE ILLUSIONS – LOVE

Warm harmony soul in the best Philly mode – work from the Illusions trio, who've got one of their city landmarks featured very prominently on the cover! The group have a style that's a nice throwback to older east coast harmony soul of the 70s – that great moment when groups like this were really able to focus on their sound, and come across with a mature, classy style that few acts from other cities could do this well! The Illusions continue that great tradition, and work here with strong Philly help from Butch Ingram and other Ingram members – who keep things in a perfectly laidback mode to fit the mellow spirit of the vocals. Titles include "Let's Make A Baby", "Darlin Darlin Baby", "I'll Never Love The Same Way Twice", "What's Come Over Me", "I Told You So", and "Think About Tomorrow".  ~ Dusty Groove

HEAVY WEATHER – MOVIN’ EASY


Killer funk from Heavy Weather – a contemporary combo, but one who groove like it's 1982! The group have a tight ensemble approach that rivals that of The Gap Band, Cameo, or Con Funk Shun at their best – all instrumentation right on the money, with a sharp focus that hardly belies the size of the group! The sound is sharp and tight, but never slick or smooth – and these guys use a fair bit of keyboards amidst their snapping grooves and basslines – but always with a touch that's more than warm enough to match the vocals. Butch Ingram produced – and the set shows all his great experience in funky soul over the years – and titles include "Movin Easy", "Let The Music Take You On A Ride", "Ain't No Thang", "Wonderlove", "Stick To It", and "I Came To Dance".  ~ Dusty Groove


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