ERIC
DARIUS – RETRO FORWARD
Eric
Darius is one of the true rising stars of Smooth/Urban Jazz. Adored by his
growing legion of fans, Eric tours constantly with such superstars as Maxwell,
Joe, Mary J. Blige, Prince, and many others. Additionally Eric is a mainstay of
Smooth Jazz radio, having already had 8 Top 10 hits in his young career. Eric s
first single from Retro Forward, a remake of Pharrell s Happy is already
climbing up the Smooth Jazz radio charts, and promises to be Top 5 at the time
of the album s release. Superstar
producers Tony Dixon(Babyface, Beyonce) and Bluetooth (Chris Brown, Jordin
Sparks) ensure that Retro Forward is brimming with today s hit sounds while
still retaining a firm footing in the world of Jazz. Highlights include Eric s
hit single Happy , the heartfelt ballad Never , the funky title track Retro
Forward , and much more.~ Amazon
THE
ILLUSIONS – LOVE
Warm
harmony soul in the best Philly mode – work from the Illusions trio, who've got
one of their city landmarks featured very prominently on the cover! The group
have a style that's a nice throwback to older east coast harmony soul of the
70s – that great moment when groups like this were really able to focus on
their sound, and come across with a mature, classy style that few acts from
other cities could do this well! The Illusions continue that great tradition,
and work here with strong Philly help from Butch Ingram and other Ingram
members – who keep things in a perfectly laidback mode to fit the mellow spirit
of the vocals. Titles include "Let's Make A Baby", "Darlin
Darlin Baby", "I'll Never Love The Same Way Twice", "What's
Come Over Me", "I Told You So", and "Think About
Tomorrow". ~ Dusty Groove
HEAVY
WEATHER – MOVIN’ EASY
Killer
funk from Heavy Weather – a contemporary combo, but one who groove like it's
1982! The group have a tight ensemble approach that rivals that of The Gap
Band, Cameo, or Con Funk Shun at their best – all instrumentation right on the
money, with a sharp focus that hardly belies the size of the group! The sound
is sharp and tight, but never slick or smooth – and these guys use a fair bit
of keyboards amidst their snapping grooves and basslines – but always with a
touch that's more than warm enough to match the vocals. Butch Ingram produced –
and the set shows all his great experience in funky soul over the years – and
titles include "Movin Easy", "Let The Music Take You On A
Ride", "Ain't No Thang", "Wonderlove", "Stick To
It", and "I Came To Dance".
~ Dusty Groove
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