Wednesday, October 19, 2016

NEW RELEASES: PAULETTE REAVES – SECRET LOVER; THE SURE FIRE SOUL ENSEMBLE – OUT ON THE COAST; SAO PAULO UNDERGROUND – CANTOS INVISIVEIS

PAULETTE REAVES – SECRET LOVER

A fantastic album from deep soul singer Paulette Reeves – one of the most unique talents of her generation, and an artist who's never fully gotten her due! Paulette's got a southern soul range in her vocals, and works here with Miami TK arrangements from Clarence Reid – but she also has these more sophisticated modern soul currents in her music – at a level that makes us think of her more along the lines of singers like Jean Carn or Phyllis Hyman! The set's quite different than some of the other TK Records material of the time – and was quite possibly overlooked at the time, due to its release within their disco-heavy catalog – whereas Reeves is a singer who really would have gotten strong attention on a label like Philadelphia International. The whole thing's great – and the album includes her classic midtempo number "Let Me Wrap You In My Love", plus other nice ones – like "Secret Lover", "There's Fire Down Below", and "If You Don't See Me Again". ~ Dusty Groove

THE SURE FIRE SOUL ENSEMBLE – OUT ON THE COAST

Great work from one of the freshest funk combos going today – a group who really grabbed our ears with their initial singles and debut album – but who seem here to be heading into even hipper territory overall! There's a brilliant blend of sharp-edged instrumentation and more exotic touches – particularly some East African inflections on the horns, which gives them a vibe that's a nice change from usual funk phrasing, but without any sort of easy Afro-styled cliches as well. At times, the music also has some great southern Cali elements that fit the title and the cover – laidback rhythms that are never sloppy, but maybe just have a cool, kicked-back approach that furthers their unique groove. Titles include "Baja Norte", "Tche", "Jeannie's Getdown", "Out On The Coast", "Pig's Feet", "Volcano Vapes", "Face 1", "Balboa Park", and "Rise Of The East". ~ Dusty Groove

SAO PAULO UNDERGROUND – CANTOS INVISIVEIS

Rob Mazurek's Sao Paulo Underground group just keeps on getting better and better – and opening up with new ideas we never would have expected in their music just a few years before! The group's been an important springboard for a newly emotional, spiritual side of Mazurek's music – but they've also gelled together so wonderfully, they've hit some really tremendous territory as a unit – and on this set, they almost re-embrace some of the electronics of Rob's more abstract years, but find a way to create sounds that live up to their emotional range on previous records. The balance is wonderful – we can't imagine anyone else pulling it off this well – and although the songs might still have some jazz aspects, they also maybe function more as paintings in sound – with Rob on cornet, moog, Mellotron, percussion, and a modular synth – with Mauricio Takara on drums, cavaquino, and more electronics; Guilherme Grando on keyboards and electronics; and Thomas Roher on flutes, soprano sax, rabeca, electronics, and percussion. The sound of the music is as dense as the image on the cover – and maybe as cosmic, too – and titles include "Fire & Chime", "Violent Orchid Parade", "Cambodian Street Carnival", "Estrada Para A Oeste", "Of Golden Summer", and "Falling Down From The Sky Like Some Damned Ghost". ~ Dusty Groove


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