New Music From: Meli’sa Morgan; Dave Holland with Evan Parker; Tenderlonious featuring the 22 Archestra

Meli’sa Morgan – Love Demands

R&B megastar Meli’sa Morgan returns with a brand new set of recordings, her first in over 10 years! A former backup singer for Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston and others, Morgan launched her solo career in the mid-’80s with a massive hit single that topped the R&B chart, a cover of Prince’s “Do Me Baby!” This unique release combines six original songs, including the gorgeous title track “Love Demands,” with covers of some of Morgan’s favorite artists including Al Green, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, Otis Redding and more plus versions of Morgan’s smash hits “Do Me Baby” and “Fool’s Paradise!”

Dave Holland with Evan Parker – Uncharted Territories

A really fantastic meeting of the minds – as legendary musicians Dave Holland and Evan Parker come together here in a quartet that's maybe more powerful than either of their recent recordings! Parker's got this focus and tunefulness at times – not a jazz swing, but a sense of spacious direction that really fits Holland's work on bass – and the group also features some really inventive work on piano, organ, and other keyboards from Craig Taborn – whose open sense of structures fits the mood as well. Drummer Ches Smith may well be the most restrained member of the group – but in a great way – and the tracks on the set feature different groupings of musicians – some straight quartet, some duo or trio tracks – spun out over the extra-long space of the album. ~ Dusty Groove

Tenderlonious featuring the 22 Archestra - Shakedown

We kinda want to hate the guy for such a hokey name like Tenderlonious – but this album's a surprisingly great little gem, and one that mixes lots of openly-blown work on flute with some sweet keyboards and other jazzy rhythms! The approach is maybe a bit like the Jason Lindh or Chris Hinze albums of the early 70s – and by that, we mean their better sets – with a flute approach that's less biting than the generation of Herbie Mann and Roland Kirk, using the instrument more in these spacious ways that are pretty darn great – especially against the heavy percussion and basslines of the 22Archestra! There's a few nice moments that almost have a Bobbi Humphrey sort of warmth – and titles include "Togo", "SV Interlude", "Expansions", "The Shakedown", "Yussef's Groove", "Red Sky At Night", and "You Decide". ~ Dusty Groove