SHARON
JONES AND THE DAP KINGS - GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT
Tremendous
work from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – a set that took a bit longer to
hit the racks than expected, but which really shows a richness that more than
makes up for the delay! Sharon's a singer who's always been great – but she
steps out strongly here with a sense of maturity that seems to take her vocals
even farther than before – and The Dap Kings are more than ready to match her
energy with some funky work of their own! Jones has gone through a lot in
recent years – both with the band and in her own personal life – and the
record's a proud summation of life's challenges and triumphs, served up in the
instant-classic style that has made Sharon one of the greatest living soul
singers of the past few decades. Bosco Mann knocked things out of the park with
his raw production – and also wrote a good number of tracks on the set too –
and titles include "Making Up & Breaking Up", "Long Time
Wrong Time", "People Don't Get What They Deserve",
"Retreat", "Stranger To My Happiness", and "Now I
See". (Includes bonus download code!) ~ Dusty Groove
.
DEROBERT
ADAMS AND THE HALF-TRUTHS - I'M TRYIN'
The
greatest work we've heard so far from DeRobert Adams and the Half-Truths – a
record that really pushes the singer into classic soul territory! DeRobert has
always had a vintage approach to his music – but this full set plumbs a depth
we never would have expected at the start – an extremely rich sense of delivery
that's rooted in gospel, linked together with a range of southern soul and funk
modes that really belie the Tennessee roots of the group, plus contemporary
touches that really get past some of the more stock modes of the deep funk
underground! All tracks are originals, but they're so good you'd swear you know
them from older records – and by that, we don't mean that they're copies or
cliches – just the kind of work that's so good, you're surprised you're hearing
it for the first time. And if the strength of the record is any indication of
justice in the mainstream, you'll be hearing lots more from the group in the
near future – as this sweet set sounds like the start of a great career. Titles
include "My Momma Told Me", "Goin Places", "Write A
Letter", "Do It Alone", "I Don't Get Mad No Mo",
"The Speech", "The Dole (part 2)", and "Ooo Wee". ~ Dusty Groove
.
GRACINHA
LEPORACE
Great
early work from singer Gracinha Leporace – a vocalist you might know from her
later work in Bossa Rio, or her recordings with husband Sergio Mendes! Even at
the start, Gracinha's a hell of a singer – a vocalist who's capable of all the
coolness of the bossa era, yet still richly expressive in all the right ways –
with a jazzy flourish at times that's perfect for the album's lively backings
from Oscar Castro Neves! Instrumentation includes some sweet organ lines with a
Walter Wanderley sort of groove – plus other moments that use woodwinds in this
really lovely way – almost echoing some of the early Deodato charts. The whole
thing's wonderful – a real lost bossa treasure – and titles include
"Prece", "Cancao Da Desesperanca", "Ultima
Batucada", "Rancho De Ano Novo", "A Saudade Fez Um Samba",
"Sem Saida", "Cantiga", and "Em Tempo". ~ Dusty Groove
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