Herbie Mann's groove is mighty darn great here – a rich refinement of his earlier flute jazz styles, into the tighter sound that really sparkled with soul during the Atlantic Records years of the 60s! Most cuts mix Latin rhythms with some very soulful inflections in the overall instrumentation – with arrangements from Herbie, Oliver Nelson, and Rene Hernandez that really make the whole thing shine – and instrumentation from a tight group of hip players that features Dave Pike on vibes, Don Friedman on piano, Atilla Zoller on guitar, and added percussion by Willie Bobo and Patato Valdez! Titles include "Vikki", "Blues In The Closet", "Saudade De Bahia", "Spanish Grits", "Mushi Mushi", and "Soul Guajira". ~ Dusty Groove
A pair of Capitol classics from Charles Jackson – back to back on a single CD! First up is Passionate Breezes – a smoking solo debut from Chicago's Charles Jackson – a hell of a great singer, songwriter, and producer – who'd already had great fame in the Independents, and was working hard at Capitol records with Marvin Yancey to help shape the early years of Natalie Cole! During that time, Jackson stepped into the studio, and really stunned us with this sublime set of his own – a wonderfully mature batch of soul tunes that really reflects the great changes for male singers in the 70s – a mode that was particularly helped along by Windy City contemporaries Jerry Butler and Walter Jackson. Yet Charles has a warmth here that's all his own – gently stepping along grooves arranged by Mark Davis and Gene Barge – the latter of whom helped co-produce the record with Yancey. Yancey also wrote most of the cuts with Jackson – and titles include "Love Of You", "I Really Want You", "The Train", "Get On Down", "Passionate Breezes", and a remake of "Ooh Child". Gonna Getcha Love is great modern soul from Charles Jackson – stepping out here in his role as a solo artist after early fame with The Independents! Although Jackson himself was becoming a key force in production and songwriting for other Capitol artists (most notably Natalie Cole), this second set for the label has Chuck working with Gavin Christopher in a warm west coast groove. Christopher produced and wrote a good number of the tracks on the set – and Jackson's style here is a bit more bouncy and buoyant than before – not really 80s groove, but sliding into a slightly more uptempo mode. Titles include "At The Party", "I'm Gonna Get Your Love", "I Finally Found My Love", "I'm Through With You", "I Love You Only", and "Just For Your Lovin". ~ Dusty Groove
That's Brasil 65, not Brasil 66 – a distinction that marks a key early stage for the great Sergio Mendes – heard here on one of his first albums to mix together bossa jazz and vocals! The approach here is a bit more like vintage bossa dates from Brazil – or a bit like some of the Verve bossa records too – as Sergio's core trio is at the heart of every tune, playing with a great jazzy approach – then augmented in different ways by alto and flute from Bud Shank, guitar from Rosinha De Valenca, and vocals from the lovely Wanda De Sah! Production is perfect – really in a classic Elenco Records mode – and titles include "Let Me", "Consolacao", "Tristeza Em Mim", "Muito A Vontade", "Reza", "Berimbau", and "Aquarius". ~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment