Sunday, October 01, 2023

New music releases: Glucklich VI – A Collection Of Brazilian Flavours From The Past & The Present Compiled by Rainer Truby, Diana Jenkins with Creative Funk, Daniel Ogren, and Bobby Caldwell

Glucklich VI – A Collection Of Brazilian Flavours From The Past & The Present Compiled by Rainer Truby 

A stunning set of Brazilian-styled cuts – presented here in the long-overdue 6th volume of this legendary series! Decades back, the Glucklich series taught us plenty about Brazilian grooves – especially the sort that weren't always recorded in Brazil, and were sometimes lost to the sands of time – especially as a few of these cuts appeared only on CD back in the day! And in the best Glucklich tradition, there's a few more contemporary cuts nestled in with the classics – making for a hell of of a set list that really lives up to the genius spirit of the series – on titles that include "Brasil Nativo" by Marcia Maria, "Brother Samba" by Midnight Gigolos, "Pe No Chao" by Grupo Ebano, "Come With Me To Rio" by Jon Lucien, "The Mystery Of Man (Truccy rmx)" by Sonzeira, "Mr Jenkins" by Guillermo Reuter, "Sob A Luz Do Sol" by A Bossa Eletrica, "Offering" by Jean Mar Jafet, "Hallo Hoppel" by Wutrio, "Aderico" by The Matheus Combo, and "Sambomambo" by Christian Knobel. ~ Dusty Groove.

Diane Jenkins with Creative Funk:  I'm A Woman – The Complete Singles

Diane Jenkins was one of a few singers who worked with the mighty Creative Funk ensemble in the 70s – and here, she steps out in a collection that brings together her rare singles for that group's label, all of which feature backings from Creative Funk themselves! The groove here is nicely wide-ranging – as Diane can deliver a mellow cut with a great deal of feeling, then step into a funkier number next – all with a voice that's got plenty of feeling, and which maybe sounds even better here in the indie, small label setting of the music than it would have were she snapped up by a bigger label! The set features both vocal and instrumental versions of "I Need You" – plus "Recycle", "Sweet Wine, Music, & My Imagination", "Anniversary", "Tow Away Zone", "I'm A Woman", and "Gee Baby What About You".  ~ Dusty Groove

Daniel Ogren - Fastingen 92

A record with a very vintage-styled cover, but a set that's contemporary overall – jazzy work from Daniel Ogren, who plays all the instruments pictured around him on the cover – mixed with some occasional vocals from Anna Ahnlund, plus live drums and keyboards that almost hit a clubby sort of vibe at times! The record's got a sound that's really hard to peg – not really right for our jazz section, or new grooves – but certainly not rock, and not really global – although global elements clearly influence some of the rhythms on the record too. Most tunes have a melody that warms things up out of the darker corners of the rhythms – and titles include "Picasso", "Levi", "Hjalmarsfjorden", "Idag", "April", "Oktober", and "Annalena (album version)". ~ Dusty Groove

Bobby Caldwell - Cat In The Hat (Reissue)

One of the greatest moments ever from Bobby Caldwell is his second album, Cat In The Hat, from 1980, is one of his greatest moments and another masterwork of soulful sophistication. The album occupies it's own place between genres – a touch of soul, the warmth of jazz, and a delivery that really helped Caldwell reach out to some big new audiences at the time. There's a cool, compressed feel to the record – but a quality that's still quite personal and never too slick – that rare balance that only a few of Bobby's contemporaries could ever match – and which is really hammered home here by the production and great songwriting. Instrumentation uses a warm blend of acoustic and electric elements that offset the vocals nicely – and titles include "Coming Down From Love", "Wrong Or Right", "You Promised Me", "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love", and the  eternal "Open Your Eyes", brilliantly sampled by J Dilla for Common's "The Light".


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