Tuesday, March 06, 2018

NEW RELEASES: MFSB – THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION; XENIA FRANCE – XENIA; QUIN KIRCHNER – THE OTHER SIDE OF TIME

MFSB – THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION

Massive work from this legendary group – a studio ensemble who started out backing some of the best soul singers on the Philly scene of the 70s – but who soon got the chance to shine in the spotlight on their own! The musicians are all the cream of the crop of the city's scene – many with legacies that go back to the 60s, with work in a variety of formats – coming together here in a lineup that's tight, but never slick – sharp, but always able to open up and groove! The music here begins with instrumental tracks from the pre-disco years – music that's a huge change from the rough style of 60s soul instrumentals – and which adds in more sophisticated charts, a bit of orchestrations, and other elements – while still letting all the best soulful elements come through in the mix. The 2CD package is overflowing with gems – and titles include "Zack's Fanfare", "Sexy", "Philadelphia Freedom", "KJEE", "Brothers & Sisters", "TSOP", "Love Is The Message", "Dance With Me Tonight (12" version)", "Let's Clean UP The Ghetto", "South Philly", "Back Stabbers", "The Zip", "Lay In Low", "My Mood", "Get Down With The Philly Sound", "Family Affair", "Manhattan Skyline", "Summertime", "Let's Party Down", "Mysteries Of The World", "MFSB", "Sunnin & Funnin", "Picnic In The Park", "Freddie's Dead", "Old San Juan", "Fortune Teller", "We Got The Time", and "Tell Me Why". ~ Dusty Groove

XENIA FRANCE – XENIA

A wonderful mix of Brazilian roots and contemporary soul from Xenia – a singer with previous experience in the groups Alafia and Capadoxe – but much more compelling on her own in the spotlight! The music has the kind of roots/futurist vibe you might expect from the cover – a very powerful presence from the lady herself on vocals, supported by a mix of live percussion and just the right electronic elements – often in a way that's quite nice and nice and spare – even when the beats get a bit bumping and bassy! All lyrics are in Portuguese – save for the English tune "Reach The Stars" – and titles include "Pra Que Me Chamas", "Preta Yaya", "Minha Historia", "Breu", "Nave", "Tereza Guerreira", and "Perfeita Pra Voce". ~ Dusty Groove

QUIN KIRCHNER – THE OTHER SIDE OF TIME

A mighty debut from Quin Kirchner – a drummer who's poised to become a key figure on the Chicago scene! Quin works here with help from some more familiar names – including Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Matt Ulery on bass, Nate Lepine on tenor and flute, and Nick Broste on trombone – all working at a level that's strongly spiritual – with rhythm patterns that Kirchner builds beautifully on drums, percussion, and kalimba – occasionally augmented by a few samples here and there, but mostly acoustic overall. Lepine's in great form throughout – as is Stein – and their long reed solos add these currents of personality to the record that really sends the whole thing home! Broste gets in a few powerful passages too – especially at some of the moodier moments – and Ben Boye plays piano on one track too. The whole thing's a double album that really needs the full space for expression – and titles include "Together We Can Explore The Furthers Beyond", "Mumbo Jumbo", "The Ritual", "Crossings", "Ripple", "Self-Portrait In Three Colors", "Drums & Tines (part 2)", "Flutter", "Karina", "Wondrous Eyes", and a version of Sun Ra's "Brainville". (Comes in a great tip-on gatefold sleeve, too – with art by Damon Locks. Limited to 500 copies!) ~ Dusty Groove


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