Massive sounds from Benny Spellman – one of the greatest
singers on the New Orleans scene of the 60s – and one of the most unique, too!
Benny's often got a groove that's different than some of the more
R&B-inflected sounds of his contemporaries – sometimes sophisticated enough
to almost suggest a jazz approach, sometimes this sinister snakey style that
comes across with a moody edge we really love! And although Benny's work has
been been brought together over the years, this may well be the best compilation
we've ever seen of his music from the 60s – a set of 30 great tracks pulled from
his singles for the Minit and Alon labels, with a few unreleased numbers too –
often with some key studio help from Allen Toussaint. Titles include "10 4
Calling All Cars", "Life Is Too Short", "I Didn't Know", "Fortune Teller",
"Lipstick Traces", "Sinner Girl", "If You Love Her", "Stickin Whicha Baby",
"Talk About Love", "You Got To Get It", "No Don't Stop", "The Word Game", "Every
Now & Then", and "I'm In Love". ~
Dusty Groove
JOEY GILMORE - JOEY GILMORE
An overlooked gem from the glory days of the TK soul empire –
a mix of sweet soul steppers and more upbeat groovers – all set to tight
arrangements from Snoopy Dean! There's a great Miami groove to most numbers –
especially that modern soul style that started coming in during the Lew Kirton
generation – almost more of a Philly sense of sophistication at times, which
comes through especially well on the midtempo numbers! Joey's vocals have a nice
sort of rasp to them – a bit less polished than the arrangements, which makes
for a nice sense of balance – and titles incude "Let's Boogie On Down", "Get All
You Want", "Give Me Your Love", "Rhythm In My Bone", "It's Here", and "Funny
Feeling". ~ Dusty Groove
OTIS CLAY - I CAN'T TAKE IT
A great mix of modes – and a set that represents a real
turning point in the career of Otis Clay! The rougher edges of Clay's Chicago
soul are warmed up here substantially by producer Willie Mitchell – bubbling up
some Memphis soul for Otis, in a style that's similar to some of his backings
for other singers on the Hi Records label – in a style that makes for a great
step forward from Clay's singles of the 60s! The shift is a big one – the sort
that helped make Otis one of the standout singers of his generation – really
knocking it out of the park on tracks that include "House Ain't A Home", "Slow
& Easy", "Born To Be With You", "Home Is Where The Heart Is", "Pussy Footing
Around", and "Too Much Mystery". ~ Dusty
Groove
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