Monday, July 22, 2013

NEW RELEASES - JIMMY SCOTT, NICOLE WILLIS & JIMMY TENOR, BOBBY WHITLOCK

JIMMY SCOTT - THE SOURCE

A unique moment from the legendary Jimmy Scott – a one-off album cut for Atlantic Records – recorded after his initial 50s fame, and decades before he'd finally get his due, much later in his life! The album's got a style that's a bit more mature than Scott's initial sides – a bit more grown up in approach, even though Jimmy's still got that really unique light tone to his vocals – and arranged by Arif Mardin and William Fischer in a hip blend of jazz and strings – with a slow-moving vibe that's completely mesmerizing. The core instrumentation is by a group that includes Junior Mance on piano, Billy Butler on guitar, and Ron Carter on bass – and titles include "Our Day Will Come", "I Wish I Knew", "This Love Of Mine", and a very moody version of "Exodus". ~ Dusty Groove

NICOLE WILLIS & JIMMY TENOR - COLA & JIMMU: ENIGMATIC

Enigmatic dancefloor grooves from the duo of Cola and Jimmu – actually funky soul singer Nicole Willis and Finnish jazz funk player Jimmy Tenor! As Cola and Jimmu, Nicole and Jimmy are working in a mode that's inspired by dawn of the 90s soulful house music – a nice mix of earthy instrumentation and spacier textures. Sputtering beats are blended with hand percussion, swirling keyboard textures float over Jimmy's sax and Nicole's beautiful voice brings in all home. Nice! Includes "369º Grind", "Enigmatic", Transcend Our Love", "Tombstone", "So Refined", "I Made Up My Mind", "Satyricon", "Wild Honey", "Brooklyn Girl" and "Classified". ~ Dusty Groove

BOBBY WHITLOCK - WHERE THERE'A A WILL THERE'S A WAY: THE ABC- DUNHILL RECORDINGS

Bobby Whitlock finally gets his due – in a massive set that reissues the first two solo albums of this key player who worked on the albums Layla and All Things Must Pass! The self-titled Bobby Whitlock is a lost landmark in early 70s roots rock – the first solo album from Bobby Whitlock – an artist who'd previously played with Derek & The Dominoes, George Harrison, and Delaney & Bonnie – and who's getting a bit of help here from both Harrison and Eric Clapton in the studio! Yet the set's definitely Bobby's own – rooted in his Memphis background, and fusing together rock and soul with the same sort of core charm you might hear from Delaney & Bonnie – a quality that's almost color-blind at times, and which has the same sort of new southern appeal as music from The Allman Brothers or some of Bobby's bigger contemporaries. Titles include "Where There's A Will", "Song For Paula", "A Game Called Life", "Back In My Life Again", "Back Home In England", and "The Dreams Of A Hobo". On Raw Velvet, Bobby Whitlock really comes into his own – working in a style that's tighter and more confident than his debut – yet which is also still drenched in all the best southern styles of his roots! Production is rich, but never too commercial – and the album shows some of the growth in roots rock that was taking place with other acts of the same nature at the time – a space that's not far from The Band or Little Feat, but which also echoes more of Whitlock's Tennessee background overall. Eric Clapton plays on one track – and titles include "Tell The Truth", "Write You A Letter", "Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham", "Think About It", "Satisfied", and "Dearest I Wonder". Features very detailed notes – and some great photos and recollections from Whitlock! ~ Dusty Groove

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