Thursday, April 27, 2017

NEW RELEASES: QUINCY JONES - THE CINEMA OF QUINCY JONES; ERIC ROBERSON – EARTH; CHRISTIAN SANDS - REACH

QUINCY JONES - THE CINEMA OF QUINCY JONES

A much-needed look at an overlooked side of the genius of Quincy Jones – not his jazz work, not his productions for famous soul artists, but instead his huge legacy of soundtrack material – a part of Q's career that really took off in the 60s! By the time he started working in films, Jones had already had a decade under his belt as one of the hippest arrangers, leaders, and composers in jazz – and the film business really respected those talents, and allowed Quincy to bring some really fresh styles into play – modes that really opened up the vibe of American cinema, and also paved the way for the funky styles of the 70s! As that decade approached, Jones left behind the cinema to take on some more higher-profile records of his own – but all the charms of those great albums can be found here at their roots – in this stunning collection of soundtrack material, some of which has never been on CD. The package is way more than just a sampler – and includes an album's worth of material from the films The Pawnbroker, Slender Thread, Mirage, The Deadly Affair, In The Heat Of The Night, In Cold Blood, Walk Don't Run, The Italian Job, Lost Man, and John & Mary – plus two versions of the love theme from The Getaway, and a bonus CD with 18 tracks – titled Q's highlights, and featuring tracks from his Mercury records – plus more by Billy Preston, Arthur Prysock, Bill Cosby, Shirley Horn, Letta Mbulu, Toots Thielemans, and others. Even features the "Sanford & Son" and "Ironside" themes! ~ Dusty Groove

ERIC ROBERSON – EARTH

Fantastic sounds from Eric Roberson – one of the best contemporary soul singers of the past decade or two – and an artist who never fails to blow us away with his music! This time around, Roberson is even more positive and upbeat than ever – both in his lyrics, which have always had such strength, and in the construction of his songs – which have this completely captivating quality right from the start, and make us wonder, once again, why Eric isn't one of the bigger soul stars around the globe! The album's only an EP – with a total of 6 songs, one with Glenn Lewis – but it delivers a level of satisfaction that blows away most of his mainstream contemporaries. Titles include "Looking For", "Million Dollars", "Dreams Don't Have Deadlines", "The Hospital Song", and "Superman". ~ Dusty Groove

CHRISTIAN SANDS - REACH

Christian Sands is a mighty warm piano player – a musician who's clearly got a great reach and range on the keyboard, but always comes across with a very personal, spontaneous sort of vibe! Sands could clearly overstate his case if he wanted – but he's also one of those pianists who know just how to hang back in the right way – letting the space around the notes do just as much work as the notes themselves – in a beautifully-linked core trio that includes Yasushi Nakamura on bass and Marcus Baylor on drums. Other elements come into the music at times – tenor and bass clarinet from Marcus Strickland, guitar from Gilad Hekselman, and percussion from Cristian Rivera – but it's the core cohesion of the trio that really makes the record sparkle – a fantastic setting for Sands' well-timed, well-chosen notes. Titles include "Song Of The Rainbow People", "Armando's Song", "Gangstalude", "Use Me", "Reaching For The Sun", "Freefall", and "Oyeme". ~  Dusty Groove


No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...