A fantastic collection of work from the legendary Esther Phillips – one of the most distinct voices in soul music, captured here during some key moments in her career! The box is huge – and begins with a full CD of tracks from Esther's initial years on Lenox Records – a label that helped her mature from "Little Esther Phillips", as a girl R&B singer in the 50s – to the much more mature artist she'd become on CTI/Kudu in the 70s! The set features 20 Lenox tracks – the first a stunning set of country soul material that makes Esther one of the first female artists to take on the work, followed by rare singles and a few duets with Big Al Downing. Next are 77 more tracks from Phillips' years at Atlantic Records – material that initially takes off from the Lenox material, then moves into a really great range of styles – sometimes jazzy and sophisticated, sometimes rootsy and bluesy, sometimes a bit more deep soul too – including some live material that really shows the power she could pack at the time. In between the Atlantic cuts, are also nestled 6 more numbers recorded for Roulette Records in 1969 – especially rare tracks that have a slightly different approach – and which are a key part of the set here, along with some other unreleased material. Stunning – the first time Esther's ever gotten such wonderful treatment – a big box set with detained notes too! ~ Dusty Groove
Pianist, clarinetist, multi-woodwinds player, and composer Tom Rainer, one of Southern California’s finest improvisers, is releasing This Way, his first recording as a leader in 14 years. Ranier is a highly sought-after studio musician, performing regularly at the Grammys, Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes. He has also recorded for artists such as Terry Gibbs, Joe Pass, Buddy DeFranco, Barbra Streisand, and Plácido Domingo, among many others. On THIS WAY, Ranier displays the remarkable range of his musical talents. He composed six of the eight tunes on the disc, and he plays the piano and synthesizer, as well as soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes. He is equally versatile on the Bb, bass, and contra-alto clarinets. Ranier’s music is so compelling because he is a storyteller with a strong visual sense. “You don’t need words to convey ideas or emotions. Like the visual arts, music tells stories through images,” says Ranier. This Way has been a long time coming. As Ranier notes, “Every recording is a snapshot in time of where the artist is right at that moment. This album is the culmination of all my experiences and musical influences over the last 15 or so years.” Accompanied by some of the finest musicians in Southern California, all of whom are first-call studio musicians with extensive recording experience, the music on This Way is rich and complex, yet eminently accessible and thoroughly enjoyable.
A rising star on the Philly Soul scene, vocalist Marki Fields has been making a name for herself since her discovery by legendary Philly Soul producer and Society Hill chief Butch Ingram, who has put Marki's unique talent to work in the studio on several Society Hill releases. Marki garnered rave reviews for her duet with Society Hill label mate Donnie Tatum on their updating of Maxwell's smash hit "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" and for Marki's beautiful rendition of Stevie Wonder's 1984 chart-topper "Overjoyed." Marki was picked as one of the featured vocalists at a recent Phyllis Hyman tribute and she has made appearances all over the Northeast, wowing audiences with her authentic Philly soul sound. Ingram decided it was time that Marki exposed her talents to a wider audience and invited her into the studio to record her long overdue full-length album debut, appropriately titled "Caught Up." Enlisting the help of the Society Hill Orchestra and the Ingram Brothers band, Marki does justice to the Philly Soul sound with an awesome collection of hand-picked songs, hand-picked. Featured on the full-length is a bonus extended mix of Marki's critically acclaimed take on Maxwell's "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" and also includes a sensational duet with Donnie Tatum, updating Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes' "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon." Blessed with a unique vocal style and a strong connection to soul music of the past, Marki Fields is destined to bring the new sound of Philly Soul into the future.
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