A wonderful record by Bobby Lyle – and a genius blend of jazz, soul, and lots of other righteous sounds! Lyle started out as a keyboardist, but this album really has him taking off as a vocalist too – working in a sweet Roy Ayers-styled groove – one that blends mellow rhythms with warmly jazzy inflections – with roots in fusion, yet a tighter soul finish overall! Lyle's still got a few keyboard flights – of the sort heard on The Genie – but with Wayne Henderson at the production helm, things are a bit tighter overall – given a really wonderful focus that makes Bobby sound better than ever. Titles include the great funky number "Groove (Ain't No Doubt About It)", the warm stepper "Good Inside", and cool keyboard grooves like "Star Traveler", "Missing Your Love", and "Inner Space". ~ Dusty Groove
A stone classic from Bobby Lyle – and a record that really has him stepping out strongly, both as a keyboardist and a singer! Bobby's strength at this point is undeniable – and he's got a perfect sense of balance that rivals contemporaries like Roy Ayers or Webster Lewis – both of whom work in a similarly jazzy groove! Lyle plays some great Fender Rhodes on the set – plus other more way-out keyboards too – and production is by the At-Home team, who really know how to bring in a strong sense of focus to the grooves, while still letting the best jazzy elements flourish. Titles include "Space Place", "Stop Running Away From Love", "Getting Into Love", "Dream Lady", "Stop Running Away From Love", and "For Love". ~ Dusty Groove
A funky fusion classic – and quite possibly Bobby Lyle's most perfectly realized album! The set was Bobby's first full US outing, and it's filled with soaring, riffing keyboards that stretch out into territory explored a few years before by Johnny Hammond and Lonnie Liston Smith! The real difference, though, is the album's sweet soulful production from Wayne Henderson – who hooks in the best bits of Bobby's sound, and fuses them with a modern soul-styled groove that creates the same blend of jazz and R&B that you'd get on some of Eddie Henderson's best records from the time, or some of the best Ronnie Foster work on Columbia from a few years later. Bobby's keyboards are capable of hitting both a soulful groove and a deep jazzy vibe – and the record's got a rich palette of tunes that never fail to amaze us! Titles include "Mother Nile", "You Think Of Her", "The Genie", "Pisces", "Magic Ride" and "Night Breeze". ~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment