PHYLLIS HYMAN - DELIVER THE LOVE: THE ANTHOLOGY
A beautiful collection of work from the legendary Phyllis
Hyman – a set that not only includes her groundbreaking records as a solo act,
but also a big range of her famous collaborations with jazz artists who include
Norman Connors, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, and Grover Washington! Hyman is a
singer unlike anyone else – an artist who was raised equally in jazz and soul,
then found a way to mix the best of both with a new sort of sophistication that
made her one of the most important female soul talents to show the way forward
during the 80s – an artist who was always equal parts class and care, soul and
style – and one who departed our planet all too soon. Fortunately, even after a
short time of recording, Phyllis already left us an amazing legacy of music –
as you'll hear in this set of overstuffed gems – a 33 track package that
includes "Sacred Kind Of Love", "Baby", "You Know How
To Love Me", "Under Your Spell", "Sleep On It",
"Loving You Losing You (12" mix)", "Deliver The Love",
"Can't We Fall In Love Again", "Let Somebody Love You",
"Gonna Make Changes", "Black & Blue", "Somewhere
In My Lifetime", "I'll Be Around", "Betcha By Golly
Wow", "No One Can Love You More (7" version)", "Just
Imagine", "Love Surrounds Us Everywhere", "In A Sentimental
Mood", "In Search Of My Heart", "I Don't Want To Lose
You", "Why Did You Turn Me On", "Riding The Tiger
(single)", and "Tonight You & Me (disco version)". ~ Dusty Groove
AARON ABERNATHY - DIALOGUE
Aaron Abernathy really grabbed us with his debut – and on
this second set, he's maybe even tighter and more his own self than before –
moving past the guests who helped draw attention to the previous record, and
really standing strongly in the spotlight on his own! Aaron composed, produced,
and arranged the whole set – but what's most important is his voice – this kind
of crackling sound that demands attention, and which really has the kind of
urgency to fit the lyrics of his songs – which again, maybe feel even more his
own than before! Instrumentation is nice and lean – often strong on drums from
the man himself, plus a bit of keyboards – augmented by some extra bass and
percussion, but kept with this sharp focus that really matches the needs of the
tunes. Abernathy's the kind of soul singer who should be huge – if there was
any justice in the world – and we're hoping this second set is really the start
of a path to greatness. Titles include "Children Of The City",
"Human Action Matters", "Generation", "Restrictions",
"Now A Days", "The Villain In Me", and "Daily
Prayer". ~ Dusty Groove
MARIO ABNET / PAULO JOBIM – JOBIM ORCHESTRA & GUESTS
Years back, guitarist Mario Adnet gave us a great album of
symphonic takes on the tunes of Antonio Carlos Jobim – and here, he strongly
expands on that idea by working through some jazz orchestra arrangements – done
in collaboration with the younger Paulo Jobim! The music is beautiful right
from the start – arranged with the complexity that Jobim brought to his sounds
in the bossa nova years, but also given some of the sharper edges he picked up
in the 70s – which only seemed to underscore the melancholy elements in his
songs! Arrangements are either borrowed from classic charts – including a few
by Claus Ogerman – or handled by Mario – and most tracks have vocals, sung by
Adnet, Paulo Jobim, Alice Caymmi, Dora Morelenbaum, and others. Instrumentation
includes a fair bit of acoustic guitar alongside the larger ensemble – but we
love the reed elements the most, especially the flute – and titles include
"Aguas De Marco", "Chovendo Na Roseira", "Boto",
"Mantiqueira Range", "Olha Maria", "Falando De
Amor", "Eu Te Amo", "Um Certo Capitao Rodrigo", and
"O Saci". Also comes with a bonus DVD, with performances of most of
the songs! ~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment