BRANDOM
WILLIAMS – XII
A hell
of a record from keyboardist and producer Brandon Williams – an artist who may
well be the Larry Mizell of the 21st Century! Like Mizell, Brandon's a hell of
a musician at the core – really strong and soulful on his work here – but also
like Larry, Williams really has a great way of reaching out and working with
others – a quality that's already gotten his music exposure on records by some
other big artists, and which also opens the door here to include guest
contributions from Jesse Boykins III, Robert Glasper, Frank McComb, Don
Blackman, Bernard Wright, Pharoahe Monch, Nicholas Payton, Choklate, Deborah
Bond, and others! That lineup should really give you an idea of the depth of
this record – as Brandon finds a way to make all these great talents come
together, while still letting all the individuals shine during their time in
the spotlight – no egos ever taking things over, not even Brandon's own – as
the album rolls along with a majestic blend of jazz and soul. Titles include
"Intimidation", "Pinball Number Count",
"Godsend", "Everything", "Now I Know", "Feel
Free", "Yasmin", "Velas Icadas", and "Make
Believe". ~ Dusty Groove
LUXURY SOUL 2015 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)
Live
like a prince, but on the budget of a commoner – thanks to this sweet Luxury
Soul collection, which offers up 3CDs' worth of killer contemporary soul – but
all for the price of a single disc! This volume continues the wonderful vibe of
the series – and provides a great overview of some of the best underground soul
of recent years – pulled from the Expansion family of labels, and some other
indies as well – and put together with a really great track selection overall!
Titles include "Think About Why" by Jarrod Lawson, "Feel"
by Victor Haynes, "It's All About You" by Marc Staggers,
"Pill" by Eric Roberson, "I Promise (MONEY)" by Angela
Johnson with Raul Midon, "Struggling" by Imaani, "Luther"
by Real, "Philly Line (Colin Watson Philly rmx)" by Soulution,
"Your Smile" by Neo feat Drizabone, "With Me" by Kloud 9,
"Perfect Love Affair" by Shaun Escoffery, "Someone Else" by
C Robert Walker, "It's Just Like Love" by Sheree Brown, "What
Took You So Long" by Tyrone Lee, "Just Can't Give You Up" by
Diplomats Of Soul with Noel McKoy, and "Dondi" by Ed Motta. 3CDs and
35 tracks in all! ~ Dusty
Groove.
THE BRAZILIAN BOOGIE COLLECTION: FROM RIO TO SAO PAULO (1976-1983) (VARIOUS ARTISTS)
Think
Brazil only gave the world bossa nova and samba? Think again – because this set
is a great example of the nation's rich legacy of soul music – especially the
kind of upbeat, hard-grooving styles that still stay strong on today's global
dancefloors! The groundbreaking collection is a wonderful batch of rare club,
disco, and boogie tracks from the Brazilian scene of the late 70s and early 80s
– music that's not just a copycat of American dancefloor styles, but often a
unique hybrid of funk and regional Brazilian styles – blended together with
top-shelf studio perfection, and served up with loads of jazzy touches in the
instrumentation. The grooves here are razor-sharp throughout – and many tracks
may well blow away better-known US cuts from the time – and the set does a good
job of mixing a few longtime standards with some fresher tunes that really keep
things interesting! Titles include "Relax" by Painel De Controle,
"Funk Funk La" by Robson Robson, "Nao Va" by Tim Maia,
"A Paraibo Nao E Chicago" by Marcos Valle, "Saiba Ser
Feliz" by Tarantulas, "Rio Babilonia" by Jorge Ben, "O
Amigo De Nova York" by Emilio Santiago, "Expresso Madureira" by
Banda Black Rio, "Olhos Coloridos" by Sandra Sa, "Aleluia"
by Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti, and "Central Do Brasil" by
Cassiano. ~ Dusty Groove
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