George Benson is no spring chicken – but damn, he sounds plenty darn youthful here – working at the Ronnie Scotts club in London with some tight jazz funk backing! Benson sings as much as solos on guitar – and the whole thing is a great throwback to the sound of his 70s records – both in terms of the choice of tunes, and the overall spirit – that undeniable charisma that pushed George from the soul jazz underground to superstardom – a quality that's never let up over the years. Titles include "The Ghetto", "Give Me The Night", "Love X Love", "Turn Your Love Around", "In Your Eyes", "Feel Like Makin Love", "Cruise Control", "Affirmation", "Moody's Mood", and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight". ~Dusty Groove
Rare work from Sharon Jones – and a record that's a bit different than some of her other work for the Daptone label! The set features the group doing cover versions of tracks by other artists – some that appeared as singles over the years, others commissioned for projects, and a few that never saw the light of day at all – brought together here to make a unique posthumous album from Sharon and the Dap-Kings! If you know the tightness of the group, and Jones' classic style of soul vocals, you'll know you're in for a treat – a bit like when Otis Redding might have taken on a familiar tune for Stax – in a lineup that includes "Inspiration Information", "Take Me With U", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Signed Sealed Delivered", "Just Dropped In", "Giving Up", "Rescue Me", "In The Bush", "It Hurts To Be Alone", and "Trespasser". ~ Dusty Groove
Dezron Douglas and Brandee Younger are two of our favorite jazz musicians to emerge in the past decade – and this set of duets may well be some of the greatest work that either artist has done on record to date! The setting is unique – material pulled from live stream broadcasts that bassist Douglas and harpist Younger did from their Harlem apartment during the lockdown in Spring of 2020 – and if that makes you think that the material's going to be low-fi or cheap, it's not – as there's a sense of majesty here that's really surprising, given that the album features just two musicians! Dezron's bass has never sounded better – and blended with the harp of Younger, the sound is amazing – as Brandee evokes both Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby on the instrument – but also brings in a spirit that's very much her own. The set features remakes of tracks from both Coltranes, and Pharoah Sanders – plus lots of other surprises and original material too – on titles that include "Gospel Trane", "Force Majeure", "This Woman's Work", "Nothing Stupid", "Sing", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "We'll Be Right Back", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", and "Equinox". ~ Dusty Groove.
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