A contemporary set, but one with a vibe that stretches back to the glory days of early 80s funk in England – served up by Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick, of Incognito fame – a talent whose contributions were key to the scene back in the day! If you know Bluey, you'll know his talent for a richly soulful groove – but the style here is very lean, with live drums, heavy basslines, and plenty of sweet keyboards too – all with a stark quality that's a lot like the best sounds of the post-disco years, when groups like this were taking things back to basics. There's plenty to love here if you love UK sounds from the time by Atmosfear and Freeez – but the music is maybe even leaner than both – and served up by a great group of familiar associates, including Ski Oakenfull, Peter Hinds, and Matt Cooper on keyboards. Titles include "Rhythm In Your Mind", "Kinshasa", "Give In To What Is Real", "After The Rain", "We Like It", "Steppers Crusade", "Vision 9", and "Aspects". ~ Dusty Groove
Maybe the greatest record we've heard so far from this Japanese jazz group – a combo we've been loving for many years, and who really seem to have unlocked some more spiritual currents in their music for this release! In the past, Soil & Pimp were often focused most strongly on the rhythms, and let their jazz soloing follow that pace – but here, they open things up with gentler, more modal elements – really letting the tunes build and find their way, and topping them off with excellent solos on trumpet, tenor, and piano! There's none of the more bombastic modes of the past, and instead these guys are at their most jazz-based to date – really getting us ready for more great records of this nature to come. The set features versions of "Inner Glimpse", "Love Supreme (part 2)", "Kitty Bey", "Soulful", "Silence", and "My Favorite Things" – all great! ~ Dusty Groove
A fantastic record, and one of those cases where the presence of the mighty Pharoah Sanders can really transform the sound of a session! We'll admit that we weren't sure what to expect – but at the core, the record is really a set of duets between Pharoah on tenor and Sam Shepherd on keyboards – a great range that includes Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, celeste, and acoustic piano – slowly graced by some larger arrangements from the LSO! Yet even with the majesty of the larger group, who come into the proceedings in baby steps, there's a core feeling of intimacy that never goes away – sublimely spiritual sounds from Pharoah on tenor throughout – with phrasing and styles that show us that he hasn't lost an ounce of his talent since his early years on Impulse records. The album's maybe one of the most beautiful things that Sanders has given us in a long time – and that's saying a lot, as he's always pretty great – and the set features the long "Promises" suite, in nine movements – a piece for saxophone, strings, keyboards, and electronics composed by Shepherd. ~ Dusty Groove
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