Playlist: The Very Best of Jermaine Jackson
A 14-track collection spanning 1972 to 1991, Sony/Legacy’s new Playlist: The Very Best of Jermaine Jackson takes on the daunting task of assimilating a well-tempered discographical overview of the most prolific solo performer of the Jackson dynasty. While Michael and Janet were enjoying mega-stardom by way of multiple smashes from relatively few albums, big brother […]
Basementality 2
Amp Fiddler is a living legend. More than a backing musician for the iconic Enchantment, more than a keyboardist for George Clinton’s P-Funk, more than a collaborator on Maxwell’s eponymous debut, Urban Hang Suite, more than a man who introduced producer extraordinaire J Dilla to the tools that would later write his dearly departed name […]
Timothy Bloom (2014)
Two years ago, Texas native Timothy Bloom – an unorthodox church-bred talent nursed on a musical diet encompassing Marvin, Prince, Jimi and The Beatles – exploded on the R&B radar with the Interscope-distributed EP, The Budding Rose. The lead single, “‘Til the End of Time,” along with its sexy NSFW concept video created the perfect […]
Coming Back (Reissue) (2014)
After paying their dues as local favorites for the better part of the ’70s, The Jones Girls finally gained national recognition in 1979 with the top-five success of “You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else.” A funky dancer showcasing the siblings’ classy, streamlined harmonies and primary lead vocalist Shirley’s distinctively sassy yet subtle way with […]
Recovery (2014)
The relationship SoulTracks has with artists can be an interesting and complex one, since writers often come to know artists personally through the work, but strive to maintain a professional distance to be able to still offer raw and honest critiques for our readers. This we feel is our duty. Even more complicated is the […]
Contrast
Once in a great while, I ponder how much stock I should take in an artist’s choice in album titles in providing insight into what the musical material will dictate? In other words, titles might just be nothing more and nothing less than window dressing in compiling the entire musical package. Yet, after fully absorbing […]
“I’ll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the March Up Freedom’s Highway” by Greg Kot
The pivotal role of gospel in the timeline of soul music cannot be overstated. Countless time-honored R&B artists refer back to their church-going childhoods as the roots of their musical leanings. So many of these singers’ performances possess heartfelt buildups and spine-tingling climaxes clearly inspired by the spiritual fever of a rousing devotional service. Greg […]
The Song Is You
As a recording artist, 19 years is a long time to be gone from the mainstream. Longer still is the 23 years it’s been since Jennifer Holliday’s last secular album, 1991’s I’m On Your Side. It helped that during those years, Holliday’s work was licensed on scores of compilation projects and two independent gospel projects […]
Fly EP
Tony Momrelle has been described as one of the most exciting and significant soul singers on the British music scene today. Praised by critics and genuinely elevated to a higher standing than most, Momrelle has become something of an aficionado with devotees in the most far reaching of places. It was the legendary Stevie Wonder, […]
Give The People What They Want
Sharon Jones knows a thing or two about hard times. Last year, she dealt with a health scare that ultimately pulled her off the road and away from the studio when doctors discovered she had stage two pancreatic cancer. After rigorous chemotherapy and now with a testimony of longer life, Jones is thankful to be […]
