Friday, January 29, 2016

NEW RELEASES: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRAX: STAX/VOLT 45RPM RARITIES 1964-1968; DOUG CARM – MY SPIRIT; SCOTT HAMILTON / KARIN KROG – THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRAX: STAX/VOLT 45RPM RARITIES 1964-1968

Stax Records turned out plenty of hits in the 60s – but the Memphis label was also a non-stop powerhouse of recording, and cut countless sides that were every bit as great as their hits, but never fully got their due! This collection brings together a huge amount of those gems – 24 rare Stax singles, none of which have ever been reissued – which makes this package a treasure trove of under-discovered Memphis soul, even if you've got some other Stax/Volt sets in your collection! A number of these tracks are early numbers by artists who'd break bigger on Stax later in the 60s – and others are by singers you might not know at all, but who were key to helping the label form its sound at the time – as their top-shelf team of writers and studio talents made these obscure singles every bit as great as their work for bigger artists. Titles include "I Need Somebody" by Johnny Daye, "Separation" by Carla Thomas, "Under My Nose" by Eddie Floyd, "Here I Am" by Lynda Lyndell, "Bashful Guitar" by Johnny Jenkins, "I Gotta Have My Baby's Love" by Sir Mack Rice, "Sweet Thing" by Gorgeous George, "The Big Dipper" by Sir Issac & The Do Dads, "Uh Oh I'm In Love Again" by Eddie Jefferson, "Beach Bash" by The Mar-Kays, "You Belong To Her" by Barbara & The Browns, "Strange Things" by Johnny Taylor, and "This Kind Of Woman" by Ivory Joe Hunter. ~ Dusty Groove

DOUG CARM – MY SPIRIT

Damn impressive work from Hammond giant Doug Carn – a record that really recalls the brilliance of his famous records from the 70s – thanks to a righteous sound and a strongly spiritual vibe! The set features Doug on Hammond and Deszon Claiborne on drums – plus twin tenors from Howard Wiley and Teodross Avery, who soar out strongly on all numbers – criss-crossing their sound with a fullness that makes the group sound a lot larger than a quartet – and blowing these strongly soulful solos that match Carn's for nonstop energy and imagination. The record's way more than we expected – and is a lot more unbridled than some of the other titles on the Doodlin label – and although we haven't heard Doug on record in years, we can tell that his genius hasn't dimmed a bit. Titles include "My Spirit", "Fatherhood", "Chant", "Mr Kenyatta", "Eternal Triangle", and "Western Sunrise". ~ Dusty Groove

SCOTT HAMILTON / KARIN KROG – THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE

One of the most swinging albums we've heard from vocalist Karin Krog in years – thanks to tight backing from a combo that also includes the great Scott Hamilton on tenor! The album's got the classic, easygoing flow of most of Scott's best work – a simple, no-nonsense style that's steeped in tradition, but carried off with a crisp, contemporary vibe – at that level that makes Hamilton one of the stronger tenorists in a line that goes back to Ben Wester and Lester Young. His approach really warms things up, and makes things a bit different than some of Krog's records with more experimental reed players, or without much backing at all – and the feel here is almost like Karin's classic 70s album with Dexter Gordon. Rhythm is from Jan Lundgren on piano – whose presence also really shapes the record – and Hans Backenroth on bass and Kristian Leth on drums. Titles include "Will You Still Be Mine", "How Am I To Know", "We Will Be Together Again", "Shake It But Don't Break It", "The Best Things In Life Are Free", and "I Must Have That Man". ~ Dusty Groove


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