BARRY WHITE – LOVE’S THEME: THE COMPLETE 20TH
CENTURY RECORDS SINGLES 1973-1979 (3-CD SET)
Barry White was one of the undisputed geniuses of 70s soul –
a completely new force that helped the music find even more soul and
sophistication than ever before – all while still sounding plenty funky too!
And while Barry's albums of the decade were mega-hits – as were his productions
with Love Unlimited and the Love Unlimited Orchestra – the man also had a great
way with a 7" single – and somehow managed to pack all the punch and power
of a full soul orchestra performance into the space of a few short minutes –
all while topping the tunes with his own majestic vocals! Barry also completely
redefined masculinity at the time – adding in this positive, prosperous,
all-encompassing mode to his music – often at a level that was a far cry from
soul modes of the 60s, and which paved the way for so many transformations to
come. Here, you'll get a heady helping of his great singles of the 70s – some
of which you'll know as classics, others which come as a nice surprise – all
working together in one massively mighty collection. Titles include "Never
Never Gonna Give You Up", "Playing Your Game Baby", "I'm
Qualified To Satisfy You", "I'll Do Anything You want Me To",
"You're The First The Last My Everything", "Honey Please Can't
Ya See", "What Am I Gonna Do With You", "Baby We Better Try
To Get It Together", "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness", "I
Love The Songs I Sing", "September When I First Met You",
"It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down To Me", "Don't Make Me Wait To
Long", "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby", and
"I've Got So Much To Give". 3CD set features a massive 46 tracks in
all, with a big booklet of notes – all the singles Barry released with 20th
Century Records in the 70s, including b-sides – some of which are instrumentals
or long versions! ~ Dusty Groove
JEFF RYAN – EMBRACE
Rising star saxophonist Jeff Ryan’s powerhouse debut single
"Up and Up," offers a mix of sultry steam and robustness, with an
intense, soulful energy reminiscent of the musician’s favorite influence,
Richard Elliot. In a single four-and-a-half minute track, Ryan takes us on a
breakneck ride that showcases a spectrum of emotion and an uncanny ability to
chill us out while building tension before the next burst of brassy sunshine. The
full album EMBRACE, on Woodward Avenue Records, features nine remarkable originals
and one cool Bruno Mars cover. Collaborating with keyboardist, composer and
producer Greg Manning, Ryan fashions his own vibrant contemporary twist on the
heart-searing vibe that cats like Elliot and Gerald Albright have mastered over
the years. EMBRACE is not only an incredible blast of a debut by an artist for
whom, to quote Oli Silk, “the limit’s the sky,” but hands down, the best Smooth
Jazz album of the year so far! ~ smoothjazz.com
GABRIELE POSO - AWAKENING
Clubby grooves and rootsy percussion – served up here by
Gabriele Poso in a really wonderful combination! The music here is as rich and
organic as the cover – almost in the 21st Century blend of contemporary and
classic that we've loved in records from artists like Joe Clausell or Osunlade
– but very much in its own particular style, and, if anything, even more
textured and complex than music from those two artists! Gabriele Poso recently
gave us a collection of drum-heavy tracks by others on BBE, but this set of his
own music even tops that – as the roots go even deeper, even though the music
is all new. Titles include "Playa 80", "Awakening",
":Adorando", "Words Never Work", "The Night
Falls", "Mi Amigo", "Otro Barrio", "Sotto Il
Campanile", and a really nice cover of "Everybody Loves The
Sunshine". ~ Dusty Groove
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