Billy Paul - Me & Mrs Jones – The Billy Paul Anthology
The full scope of genius of the legendary Billy Paul – one
of the hippest, most important singers in 70s soul – a righteous talent that
we'd put right up there with Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers at their best! Like
both Marvin and Bill, Billy Paul had this way of embracing newer, more powerful
ideas – while also delivering them with a style that was maybe more confident
and proud than politically overstated – which means that his music had this
subtle power that helped to transform generations, and win big new audiences
over to the message in his songs! Billy's voice is completely distinct – he
sings like nobody else before or since – and there's sometimes currents of
jazz, sometimes more straightforward modes – all crafted perfectly to fit the
spirit of each of the distinct songs that make his 70s catalog so wonderful.
The set list here is great – 31 tracks that perfectly define the man and his legacy
– titles that include "Let The Dollar Circulate", "Am I Black
Enough For You Baby", "Brown Baby", "This Is Your
Life", "Ebony Woman", "I Was Married", "I Think
I'll Stay Home Today", "Let's Fall In Love All Over Again",
"False Faces", "People Power", "The Whole Town's
Talking", "Thanks For Saving My Life", "I Trust You",
"Let's Make A Baby", "Sexual Therapy", "How Good Is
Your Game", "Bring The Family Back", "When Love Is
New", and his classic "Me & Mrs Jones". ~ Dusty Groove
Rosie Turton - 5ive
Album opener ‘The Unknown’ recently received its first
airplay on Worldwide FM and typifies her most recent exploration into
composition. It’s fearless, fizzing, and rhythmically adventurous, with bursts
of raw emotion from her trombone and the violin of Johanna Burnheart. The
rhythm-heavy ‘The Purge’ rolls along on free-flowing melodies and counter
melodies, while ‘Stolen Ribs’ features Luke Newman on vocals and is a deeply
meditative piece based on Turton’s experiences in India. On the track, she says,
“Stolen Ribs is based on raga, called the Yaman raga from India and I wanted to
experiment with it and bring it to Jazz musicians and take the idea of the
scale and see how everyone interprets it and bring a new energy to it”. Turton’s
growing maturity as a musician with a unique voice in the UK jazz community
continues on an imaginative re-working of Herbie Hancock’s ‘Butterfly’ while
closing composition ‘Orange Moon’ proceeds with an extended bass ostinato
before Maria Chiara Argiro’s gentle piano-led rhythmical flow and Turton’s
trombone take centre stage. In 2003, Jazz re:freshed created a weekly residency
for musicians in the jazz world who wanted to experiment and push boundaries
when few opportunities to try these experimentations out live were available.
These musicians inspired a lot of the cream of today’s UK Jazz scene who have
also graced the stages of Jazz re:freshed’s events.
Alan Broadbent Trio - New York Notes
Rock-solid work from pianist Alan Broadbent – a musician
who's contributed so much to so many, we sometimes forget the greatness of his
talents! Broadbent steps in with the confidence of an old school pianist –
swinging things with a mix of bop and lyricism that hearkens back to the old
New York scene – beautifully matched by the thoughtful basswork of Harvie S,
and given the right kick at the right moments by drummer Billy Mintz. Piano
moods seem to spin effortlessly off Broadbent's fingers – whether the tune is
swinging or mellow – and titles include "Clifford Notes",
"Minority", "Continuity", "Crazeology",
"Waltz Prelude", and "371 East 32nd Street". ~ Dusty Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment