Tuesday, July 21, 2015

NEW RELEASES: MFSB – UNIVERSAL LOVE (INCLUDES BONUS TRACKS); THE SPIKE ORCHESTRA – GHETTO; SOUL SHINE - CONTEMPORARY SUMMER SOUL VIBES SAMPLER

MFSB – UNIVERSAL LOVE (INCLUDES BONUS TRACKS)

Killer stuff from this legendary Philly soul instrumental combo – with funky soul horns, unstoppable dancefloor ready rhythms and those soul-stirring strings – and right up there with their best ever! Bobby Martin arranged almost every track – and the record's a great example of the kind of lean and mean Philly groove that he had going at the time, a sound that was hard to beat, and hard to copy without sounding silly and overblown. Top shelf soul instrumentals from Philly International in the mid 70s – what more could we ask for? Includes classics like "K-Jee", "MFSB", "TLC" and "Let's Go Disco" – plus the equally great "Sexy", "Love Has No Time Or Place" and "My Mood". This great BBR CD includes 4 bonus tracks – single versions of "Sexy", "TLC", "Let's Go Disco" and "K-Jee". ~ Dusty Groove

THE SPIKE ORCHESTRA – GHETTO

A beautiful album from this hip, young, UK jazz ensemble – a set inspired by the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, and delivered in this sublime range of sounds and styles! The lineup shifts a bit from track to track – from the duo of leaders Sam Eastmond on trumpet and Nikki Franklin on voice – to a sextet, and a larger orchestra too – all in these richly expressive passages of sound that almost take us back to larger British experiments like this by artists like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs – particularly the former, given Franklin's non-vocal style of singing! The music is brooding one minute, bold the next – often with exotic currents, especially in the vocals. Titles include "Trains", "Starvation", "Child Smugglers", "Construction", "Life Before", and "Pesach 1943". ~ Dusty Groove

SOUL SHINE - CONTEMPORARY SUMMER SOUL VIBES SAMPLER

A stunning selection of contemporary cuts from the global soul underground – tracks that definitely live up to the summer spinning promised in the title, but which we'll certainly be digging during all the other seasons of the year too! The groove here is positive and upbeat – not poppy or dancefloor-oriented, but the kind of ebullient work we love from the best of the best from the underground scene – proof that a soul singer can be confident without ever being commercial – and really rise to the top with righteous music like this! The collection's got a rock-solid, wonderfully unified feel throughout – and titles include "Lighthouse" by Tony Remy with Tony Momrelle, "Soul Town (Nigel Lowis rmx)" by Ola Onabule, "Since I Found You" by Crossroads with Natash Springer, "You're My Darling" by Leon Timbo, "What Am I Supposed To Do (Kaidi Tatham rmx)" by Ruth Koleva, "Beyond The Stage" by Carmen Rodgers, "All Your Love" by Sheree Brown, "Make You Mine (Nigel Lowis rmx)" by Samuel Sanders, and "My Good Day" by Tracy Hamlin with Frank McComb. ~ Dusty Groove


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