Chillin’ (2020)
Larry Graham – Chillin’ Larry Graham will always have a prominent spot in the heart of all funk fans from his time with Sly and the Family Stone through his work as the leader of Graham Central Station. We can name all the hits from his tenure with both. We also know that Graham is the […]
1968: LSD (Love, Soul & Devotion) (2020)
Rasheed Ali – 1968: LSD (Love, Soul & Devotion) Rasheed Ali’s 1968 project that has spanned five years and five albums is coming to an end. It might be wise to add ‘I think’ to that because 2017’s 1968: Love Power was slated to be the last in the trio of concept albums. But Ali released […]
A Woman Like Me (2020)
Lindsey Webster – A Woman Like Me The pedigree is unimpeachable. The players’ execution of the material before them is exceptional. The guests, Nathan East, Luis Conte, and Vinnie Colaiuta, are inspired and lend to the prestige feel of the proceedings. And since this is the gifted Lindsey Webster we’re talking about, the heavily coated reverbed vocals are […]
No Risk No Reward (2020)
Isaac Carree – No Risk No Reward Revered gospel vocalist/songwriter Isaac Carree has been away from the scene for the better part of a decade. The longtime Men of Standard member, who also lent his vocals throughout the 2000s to the likes of Kirk Franklin, Michelle Williams, and 112 (on the suggestive “Knock U Down,” […]
Step Up (2020)
Tower of Power – Step Up In 2018, Tower of Power celebrated 50 years of making music by releasing the 14-track album Soul Side of Town. And while funk fans welcomed that set, the band was already thinking about the next 50 years. Tower of Power recorded a total of 28 tunes during the Soul Side […]
The Mirror (2020)
Raul Midon – The Mirror Listeners will always hear the best version of Raul Midon whenever a finished product emerges from the studio. That was certainly what happened on If You Really Want, the 2018 recording that Midon made with the Metropole Orkest and conductor Vince Mendoza. That detailed, year-long process included Midon going into the […]
Anachronism (2020)
Chazz Dixon – Anachronism Anachronism (noun): a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, especially a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned. The title of Chazz Dixon’s latest project makes it clear that he is not one of these artists who worries about making music that is relevant to this […]
Let’s Make Love (2020)
Cleveland P. Jones – Let’s Make Love Cleveland P. Jones is the kind of soul singer that the public says it wants. He throws his entire being into a song, and that confers honesty and passion into the lyrics. Many of his tunes blur the lines between the sacred and the romantic to the point that […]
Black Magic (Advance Review)
Jason Miles – Black Magic Part of Miles Davis’s genius was his ability to spot talent. When Davis decided that he wanted to get a certain sound or move in a certain musical direction, he’d find the musicians who could achieve what Davis conceived. So when Davis began working on jazz fusion albums that would incorporate […]
The Definitive Collection: Welcome to Our World of Merry Music (2020)
Mass Production – The Definitive Collection: Welcome to Our World of Merry Music The concept might be foreign to many millennials, but baby boomers and even Gen Xers likely remember a bygone era when major labels invested long-term in artists even in the face of elusive commercial success. Of course, major soul artists of the 1970s […]
