New Music Releases: The Staple Singers, Connie Han, Julia Biel

The Staple Singers - Come Go With Me – The Stax Collection (Soul Folk In Action / We'll Get Over / Staple Swingers / Be Altitude / Be What You Are / City In The Sky / rarities) (7LP set)

Legendary sounds from the Staple Singers – a set of albums for Stax Records that really helped push the group from the gospel folk underground into the soul music mainstream – and which also helped transform the rest of the scene in the process! The Staple Singers had recorded previously for Vee Jay, Epic, and other labels – but when the group hit Stax, at a time when the label was newly set free in the late 60s, the mix of forces really turned out to create something special – message-oriented soul music that drew on the strength of the group's gospel experience, but delivered themes that were every bit as righteous from a secular perspective too – all set to music from the great studio forces who were making Stax so wonderful at the time! This set features six full albums, all from the original tapes – Soul Folk In Action, We'll Get Over, Staple Swingers, Be Altitude Respect Yourself, Be What You Are, and City In The Sky – plus a special Singles Live & More album of bonus tracks! Bonus tracks include "Stay With Us", "Brand New Day", "Walking In Water Over Your Head", "I Got To Be Myself", "Oh La De Da", and "Trippin On Your Love" – plus Live At Wattstax recordings of "I'll Take You There", "Respect Yourself", "Heavy Makes You Happy", "Are You Sure", and "I Like The Things About Me". Comes in a heavy box, with all original album sleeves, and 180 gram vinyl! ~ Dusty Groove

Connie Han - Iron Starlet

With the release of her 2018 Mack Avenue Music Group debut, Crime Zone, pianist/keyboardist Connie Han seized the attention of the jazz world and firmly established herself as a fast-rising star on the scene. That stratospheric ascent continues on her captivating follow-up, Iron Starlet, due out April 10, 2020. As the title makes vividly clear, Han's career may be in the early stages of what promises to be a vertiginous climb, but the 23-year old is no wide-eyed aspirant, timidly searching for her place in the crowded jazz landscape. One listen to Iron Starlet is ample evidence that she's every bit an armor-clad talent as the name implies. Her powerful vision takes in the full evolution of her forebearers, from iconic innovators like McCoy Tyner and Hank Jones through the Young Lion revolution spearheaded by the Marsalis Brothers, Kenny Kirkland and Jeff "Tain" Watts, among others. "The intention of this music is to continue a legacy of tough, primal, raw but still intellectually engaging straight-ahead jazz," Han declares. "I am an aspiring star in this music, but I am not a naïve, uncertain girl that people wrongly associate with that term."

Julia Biel - Black And White Vol. 1

An award-winning original artist - singer, songwriter, piano player, producer, guitarist - whose neo mellow sound combines an indie jazz approach with art-pop sensibilities, it's Julia Biel's voice and piano playing that feature on her 4th album. 'Black and White, Volume 1' is a solo recording that comments on the binary concepts of 'black' and 'white' in what she feels should by now be a post-'racial' world. Using just the black and white keys of the piano and her mixed 'black' and 'white' heritage, the British-born dual British/German national with South African roots seeks to reach beyond the polarising concept of division along skin colour lines, to remind the listener of and to confront them with their own emotions - to take these two colours and transform them into a landscape of sonic colour in the process. "Because on the level of shared emotion is where everyone connects," says Julia. "Skin colour, background, political persuasion or any other societal construct should have no bearing on our ability to empathise with each other nor should these things be allowed to deny someone their right to expressing anything less than the full spectrum of human emotion." Recorded in her own studio, produced by long-term partner Idris Rahman and mixed by Emre Ramazanoglu, the result is a set of intimate and raw solo recordings rendered spell-binding in large part due to hers being a voice like no other. Unhurried and unmistakeable, her unique tones wrap around deceptively simple songs dealing with confusion, pain, insecurity, joy and the power of words and love to uplift us but also to constrain us. All are imbued with her trademark poetic storytelling, revealing an ever-sharper perspective on life and love with repeated listens.