MARC STAGGERS - BACK 2 SOUL
Really
rich work from vocalist Marc Staggers – a singer who's got a very classic
approach to his music, and a style that most other contemporaries can't match!
Staggers has a fullness to his range that almost recalls contemporary gospel –
but his musical approach is definitely secular, and has this warm mix of
rhythms and vocals that sparkles with loads of sweet 70s touches – not in a
retro way, but just in a mode that shows that Marc's already on course to serve
the kind of music you'll be going back to again and again over the years! The
set's self-produced, and features great original material – a wonderfully
unpretentious, ungimmicky album that's almost in the territory of classic work
by The Isley Brothers. Titles include "Soul Summer Love",
"You're My Everything", "Not Gonna Stop", "There's
Nothing Better Than Love", "Key To My Heart", "Let's Just
Take Our Time", and "With The Things You Do". Dusty Groove
STILOVE4MUSIC (VARIOUS ARTISTS)
One of
the hippest sets we've ever heard on the Still Music label – a massive blend of
tracks that feel a lot more like classic disco than some of the contemporary
work you'd usually expect from Still Music! CD1 is especially great – and
features a set of killer edits and remixes by Jerome Derradji – work that
really has the deeply soulful feel of the late 70s/early 80s underground,
tweaked a bit towards contemporary dancefloors – but still filled with some
wonderfully rich vocals and warm clubby instrumentation! Tracks on that CD
include "Bass Is The Place", "Watchadoin",
"Disconnect", "Always On My Mind", "Says
Alright", "Adaptive Control", "SOS", and
"Situation". CD2 features a wider range of work – remixes and
original tracks by some of the contemporary underground geniuses that Still has
introduced us to over the years – but still all artists who are really
influenced by older club, house, and disco. Titles include
"Mysticmerlin" by Al Kent, "Mozambique" by Shepp, "My
Voyage" by Rick Wilhite, "Nocturnal Jam" by Be,
"Blackeyedsoul" by Jamie Finlay, "Goin To Chicago" by
Weekend Express, and "102Point7" by Ricardo Miranda. ~ Dusty Groove.
THE FAT BABIES - 18TH & RACINE
One of
the coolest combos working in Chicago these days – a trad jazz group with a
really wonderful sound – one of the few modern groups who can really illustrate
the improvisational excitement of jazz back in the Windy City scene of the 20s
and 30s! These guys have a freshness that you'd never find with other trad
combos – maybe an energy that's generated by their youth, or the fact that in
the 21st Century we're now so removed from the cliches of the trad revival,
folks can start over again and really get things right. Whatever the case,
their sound is great – an electrifying revival of modes we never thought we'd
like this much from contemporary players. The lineup includes string bass,
cornet, clarinet, alto sax, trombone, piano, drums, and banjo – and titles
include "The Stampede", "18th & Racine", "I Can't
Dance", "Stardust", "Oh Baby", "The Chant",
and "Blueberry Rhyme".~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment