Thursday, June 30, 2016

NEW MUSIC: SOME KINDA MAGIC: THE SONGS OF JERRY MOSS; BETTY DAVIS – THE COLUMBIA YEARS 1968-1969; FREDDIE REDD – WITH DUE RESPECT

SOME KINDA MAGIC: THE SONGS OF JERRY MOSS

Soaring sounds from the great Jerry Ross – a one man powerhouse on the Philly scene of the 60s – and one of the guys who was really responsible for setting the city's music scene on fire! A Jerry Ross tune is always marked by an upbeat, positive sort of vibe – a mode that works equally well on soul, rock, or pop – all of which are featured here – although even the latter two styles seem to have a bit more of a soul vibe than you might expect, as Ross was something of a blue-eyed maestro with a tune! The collection is long overdue – as Jerry's one of those guys who had a big impact at the time, but maybe wasn't as out there in the spotlight as some of his contemporaries – often just content to make magic from the other side of the studio on great tunes like these. CD features 24 cuts in all – all with detailed notes on each song – and tracks include "Love Love Love" by Bobby Hebb, "The 81" by Candy & The Kisses, "You Better Believe It Baby" by Chubby Checker, "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" by Dee Dee Warwick, "Some Kinda Magic" by Jerry Butler, "Together" by The Modern Ink Spots, "Eeny Meeny" by The Showstoppers, "He's No Ordinary Guy" by Dee Dee Sharp, "You Gave Me Somebody To Love" by The Sidekicks, "Daylight Savin Time" by Sandy Edmonds, "These Will Be The Good Old Days" by The Dreamlovers, "Gonna Be A Big Thing" by The Yum Yums, "Help Yourself" by Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, "I've Got Mine You Better Get Yours" by The Sapphires, and "You Don't Know What You Got" by Willie Hobbs. ~ Dusty Groove

BETTY DAVIS – THE COLUMBIA YEARS 1968-1969

A soul and funk fan's dream come true – never-heard recordings by the legendary Betty Davis, done for Columbia Records a few years before her debut album! At the time, Betty was hanging with Miles Davis, and turning him onto the sounds of fuzzy funk – and Miles actually produced these recordings, and used instrumentation from key associates like Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Wayne Shorter on reeds, and John McLaughlin on guitar – plus the mighty Larry Young on keyboards! The whole thing's amazing – every bit as great as Betty's work for the Just Sunshine label, but maybe even grittier – and with this unbridled vibe that's totally wonderful – and we're stunned that this is the first we're hearing of this music – but are mighty happy it's finally seen the light of day. A few cuts also feature Davis with The Crusaders and Hugh Masekela – for a groovy Cali soul sort of vibe – and titles include "It's My Life", "Hangin Out", "Politician Man", "Down Home Girl", "I'm Ready Willing & Able", "Born On The Bayou", and "Live Love Learn".  ~ Dusty Groove

FREDDIE REDD – WITH DUE RESPECT

It's easy to give the great Freddie Redd due respect – especially when the pianist sounds every bit as wonderful here as he did on his classic Blue Note albums from decades back! Freddie's a hell of a pianist, with a very unique vibe – able to be modern in conception, but lyrical in execution – sharp edges and angles warmed with a sense of humanity that always has Redd's music making this beautifully inherent sense, and drawing us right in, right away! The same seems to also be the case for his sidemen – who really flower in the setting – a lineup that includes John Mosca on trombone, Chris Byars on alto and flute, and Stefano Doglioni on bass clarinet. Mosca's trombone is especially nice – a real treat to hear in Redd's music – and titles include "A Night In Nalen", "Reminiscing", "Blue Hue", "I'm Gonna Be Happy", "OD", "Ole", "Lady J Blues", and "Melanie". ~ Dusty Groove


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