Tuesday, October 31, 2017

NEW RELEASES: RUBY TURNER – LIVIN’ A LIFE OF LOVE: THE JIVE ANTHOLOGY 1986-1991; SOWECO – KEEP ON; LA BAND DEL BRASILIANO VOL. 2

RUBY TURNER – LIVIN’ A LIFE OF LOVE: THE JIVE ANTHOLOGY 1986-1991

Classic work from Ruby Turner – a UK soul singer, but one who was part of a new generation that hardly had to answer at all to her contemporaries on the other side of the Atlantic! The tracks here have a modern, midtempo groove that's right up there with the best US mainstream soul of the period – and Turner's voice, honed by years of work with others, really soars out right from the start – with a richness that really keeps these songs fresh, even past some of the production styles of the time! Ruby sings here as if she's working for Atlantic Records at the end of the 60s, and not Jive Records in the 80s – and she brings a proud, full sound to her vocals that holds up wonderfully over the years. The set's a really well-chosen batch of tracks – 32 numbers that show Turner at her best, including duets woth Jimmy Ruffin and Jonathan Butler – with titles that include "I'm Livin A Life Of Love", "Hurting Inside", "If You're Ready Come With Me", "I'm In Love", "I'd Rather Go Blind", "It's My Life (ext version)", "Step In My Shoes", "Still Waters Run Deep", "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted", "Just My Imagination", "It's Gonna Be Alright", "Paradise (radio edit)", "Everytime I Breathe", "It's Gonna Be Alright (Brixton bass mix)", "It's You My Heart Beats For", "Merry Go Round", and "Provoking".  ~ Dusty Groove

SOWECO – KEEP ON

Soweco is just a trio, but one that comes across with the fullness of a classic combo from years back – particularly the sorts of blue-eyed soul groups from the end of the 70s! Singer Fredric Frosche Renmark has a great range, and this warmly gliding style to his vocals – which are set up over jazzy keyboards by Mattias Roos and drums from Peter Gustafsson – augmented by other touches in the studio, but also as lean as the lineup might imply! This isn't a contemporary beats and keys project – and instead, the whole thing's got a charm that goes back to the old school. The album's issued on the same label as work by guitarist U-Nam – who guests here on two tracks – and there's definitely the same blend of jazz, soul, and funk going on in the music. Titles include "Keep On", "Forget For A Moment", "Lucky Charm", "Way Up High", "Let The Rain Fall Down", "Your Love", and "By The Sea". ~ Dusty Groove

LA BAND DEL BRASILIANO VOL. 2

A contemporary record, but one that's got a very vintage vibe – served up by a young Italian combo whose style hearkens back to the grooviest styles of the 60s! Most of the tunes are romping, jerking, and jumping – that mod 60s blend of soul, rock, and jazz elements that flourished strongly on the Euro scene – and which built a very hip bridge between American styles and the newly emerging hipster scene overseas! Vocals are by both female and male singers – sometimes alone, sometimes together – and the instrumentation is heavy on Hammond, guitar, and saxes – on titles that include "92 Minuto", "La Verita", "Impossibile", "Hey Ragazzo", "Un'Ora In Piu", "Eclisse Twist", and "Preparati Bambina". ~ Dusty Groove


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