New Music Releases: J. Felix, The Eighties Ladies, Piotr Damasiewicz & Power Of The Horns Ensemble

J. Felix - Whole Again Hooligan 

A mighty nice second set from J Felix – even tighter, sharper, and funkier than his first – and done with a great blend of old school instrumentation and warmly cosmic energy! The keyboards are often in the lead – over basslines and rhythms that have plenty of 80s boogie in the mix – but the real charm of the set might be the vocals, which are served up by a quartet of different singers – each on a few tracks of their own, and really helping give the grooves a great sense of focus! Vocals are by Afua, Andrew Ashong, Emeson, and Jerry Clavier – on titles that include "Mind Up", "Future", "Good Ol Love", "I Remember", "Take Me To The Gutter", "Choppa Fiesta", "Check", and "Whole Again Hooligan". ~ Dusty Groove

The Eighties Ladies - Ladies Of The Eighties (with bonus track)

A legendary project from Roy Ayers – and a record that's almost as in-demand as his classic Ramp album! The Eighties Ladies were a hip vocal quartet, with the soulful Sylvia Striplin on lead – and they work here in a mix of perfect Ayers-styled grooves – often using female harmonies in just the same way as Ramp, but coming across with a style that's a bit more pointed at the clubs, and very much in the same mode as Striplin's classic solo album too! Roy brings plenty of jazzy undercurrents to the set – those sinister shapes and changes that always make his music so great – and Edwin Birdsong's help with arrangements ensure that there's some suitably offbeat twists and turns, which really keeps things interesting. Titles include the classic break "Turned On To You", plus vocal and instrumental versions of "Ladies Of The Eighties", and the tracks "Tell Him", "It's Easy To Move", "I Knew That Love", "He Is Mine Forever", and "Sing Me". CD also features the bonus 7" version of "Turned On To You". ~ Dusty Groove

Piotr Damasiewicz & Power Of The Horns Ensemble - Polska

A fantastically bold breath of life from the contemporary Polish jazz scene – a record that begins with a sublime tribute to the great Billy Harper, then takes off into even more mindblowing territory as things move on! The group's led by trumpeter Piotr Damasiewicz, who created the record as a tribute to some of the best Polish modern jazz giants of decades past – but with a voice that's completely fresh, and very much his own – served up by a killer ensemble that features soaring horns, bold solo moments, and two different bassists holding down the core! The tunes instantly explode with color and life – hitting a rich spirit that marks Piotr as a musician we're going to keep our eye on in coming years – with other musicians who include Maciej Obara on alto, Adam Pindur on soprano, Pawel Niewiadomski on trombone, Gerard Lebik on tenor, and Dominik Wania on piano. Titles include "Billy", "Psalm For William Parker", "Polska I", and "Kleofas". ~ Dusty Groove