THE POETS OF RHYTHM
Before
Daptone, there was Desco. Before Desco, there were The Poets of Rhythm. Back in
the ’90s, a time when most of our ears were filled with the alternating din of
angsty grunge and synthesized pseudo-soul, a couple of German kids unearthed a
raw sound from our own back yard that we hadn’t even remembered burying. Though
for a time they reveled in the borrowed nostalgia of bell-bottoms and fur
coats, their style was always in spite of fashion, not because of it. They drew
from the sound of old funk records, not as a mold, but as inspiration,
understanding that sound would always be an origin of their music, but unlike
many ‘soul revivalists’ to follow, they never settled for it as a destination. As
homage to the undeniably funky frontrunners of the modern soul movement, we are
proud to present the definitive collection of Poets tunes, respectfully curated
by Daptone staff and the band themselves. It’s been twenty years since their
first recording session, and this anthology celebrates their decade-long journey
from the raw exuberant rebellion of ‘Funky Train’, to the moody hypnotic
explorations of ‘Discern and Define’, and for the first time EVER on wax, the
eerie, relaxed groover ‘Path of Life’ – a journey that truly earns them their
name: The Poets of Rhythm. ~ grooveattack
MAYLEE TODD - ESCAPOLOGY
The
second set from Maylee Todd – and one that we like even better than the first!
Maylee sounds even more soulful and focused than ever before – playing Fender
Rhodes alongside her vocals, and really using the keys to shape the grooves in
a great way – soulful and slinky, with these classic tones we never would have
expected – and which make the album one of the best we've heard from the Do
Right label in awhile! As with some of the company's great releases from a
decade or so ago, there's an understanding of older soul modes fused with 21st
Century freshness – all handled by Maylee with her own words and music, which
really gives the set a strong personality of its own. Additional strings and
horns slide in at just the right moments to flesh out the sound – and titles
include "Baby's Got It", "Did Everything I Could",
"First & Last", "Successive Mutations", "I
Tried", and "I Can't Stand It". ~ Dusty Groove
HELEN MERRILL / PIERO UMILIANI - PAROLE E MUSICA
A
strange and obscure session that has the cool jazz vocals of American singer
Helen Merrill backed by a small Italian combo led by soundtrack composer Piero
Umiliani – a wonderful mix that really makes the album an unusual one for
Helen! The music was originally recorded for a TV program in Italy, and each
track is preceded by an Italian voice, reciting Italian versions of the lyrics
over spare musical backing – then Merrill's voice comes in with a bigger jazz
group, singing each track in English – a very nice level of presentation! And
although the whole thing sounds crazy, it actually works well – and gives the
album a compelling edge and kind of a sexy late-night quality. Tracks include
"Solitude", "Everything Happens To Me", "Night &
Day", "Why Don't You Do Right", and "Willow Weep For
Me". (Blue Spec CD.) ~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment