Raw soul from Jeff Hershey & The Heartbeats – a modern So Cal combo with deep, genuine love for the gritty live soul & R&B sounds of the mid 60s onward – and they're committed to doing it right! The group plays with a live-ready intensity and raw integrity that's really infectious – and they have a charismatic singer in Jeff Hershey to get it across strongly. It's a core sextet of guitar, bass, drums, baritone and tenor sax behind front man Hershey. The album was recorded to analog, to further underscore the authentic approach. That was the right way to go, as it sounds live and direct, no doubt as intended! They also pull off a couple of slower cookers, further demonstrating their depth. We're guessing their live show kills, but they clean up on record, too! Includes "Didn't Come Around", "Way Back Home", "Knock You Down", "Push On Through", "Stay Here At Home", "Good Times", "Another Day Without You", "Nobody Does It (Like You Do)", "Honesty Road", "Wearin' Me Out". ~ Dusty Groove
Greg's definitely showing off all his chops on this one – working with help from a huuuge array of famous guest stars – including The Pointer Sisters, James Ingram, Howard Hewett, Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Robbie Nevil, and others. And while the bulk of the record really shows the influence of these mainstream 80s soul artists – and not always in a good way – the record also sports a brilliant tune done with Donald Fagan of Steely Dan, the sweetly grooving "Lazy Nina", which sounds like the best work off Fagan's Nightfly, and has Greg and Don duetting on vocals! Titles include "Behind The Mask", "Signals", "Shake It", "Countdown To Love", "Come As You Are", and "Playin With Fire". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "Only You", "Behind The Mask (12" version)", "Playin With Fire (12" version)", "Behind The Mask (inst)", "Behind The Mask (single)", and "Playin With Fire (inst)". ~ Dusty Groove
One of the nicest records we've heard from Jeff Parker in years – a trio date with some wonderfully rich sounds, and a great showcase for some of the more lyrical sides of his music! Parker plays in these great chromatic modes throughout – using some slight effects with his hollow-body electric, in the company of bassist Chris Lopes and drummer Chad Taylor – the latter of whom really helps make the album great, thanks to a fluid, open sense of rhythm – yet one that still always knows how to swing! There's more of a groove here than you might usually expect from Jeff, and a sensitivity too – and the album almost feels like the beginning of a rich new chapter in his career. Titles include "Mainz", "Swept Out To Sea", "Freakadelic", "Istvan", "Occidental Tourist", and "The Morning Of The 5th". ~ Dusty Groove
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