Quality Time
Choices from 11 new albums bring back the
Quality Time tunes after a short
break. This time Karen Bernod,
Rachelle Ferrell, Brenda Russell, George
Duke and Marion Meadows represent
the typically stylish, jazz-inclined soul
sounds that have become so familiar for
the column, while raspy real-soul throat Theo
(Peoples) brings some classic,
down-dirty soul vocalising to the
selection and singer-songwriter Tommy
Sims shows he is the new master
of anthemic uptempo soul tunes with a
track aptly titled A New Jam.
The Soul Scale Erykah Badu is the album of the issue
with the review also available here on
our web site.
Instead, the latest sets by
Chanté Moore, Sade and Tamia
were disappointing to our reviewers. UK
label Expansion releases the 1987 album
shelved by Epic, and the album contains a
couple of real masterpieces produced by Patrick
Moten. Karen Bernod
was the voice behind Incognito's
delicious jazz-soul gem Marrakech,
and Karen's debut solo set is equally
impressive. Other albums reviewed include
Dennis Taylor, LV, Tommy Sims, Be
Be Winans and Patti
LaBelle.
Jazz-Funk Jill Scott's Words
and Souns Vol. 1 set is raved by our
jazz-funk columnist, who is also highly
impressed by new albums by Fertile
Ground, Sugar & Silk, Ronnie Laws.
A dozen of other new jazz-funk CD's
reviewed, too, including new efforts by
sax heroes Kirk Whalum, Everette
Harp, Walter Beasley and Marion
Meadows - check out which one is
the most recommendable.
An interview with KOOL & THE
GANG
The veteran funk group Kool &
the Gang have had many lives
over the year: they started as one of the
most ambitious purveyors of highly
inventive jazz-funk and fusion music, and
then turned into disco-funk favourites
with hits like Ladies Night and Celebrate.
Read the original group members, bassist Robert
"Kool" Bell and
saxophonist Dennis "DT"
Thomas comment their eventful
career.
SOLOMON BURKE - The complete story with
an interview, part 1 In this issue, Heikki Suosalo
starts another in-depth story of one of
the living soul legends, Solomon
Burke. Read the detailed story
of Solomon, featuring his own comments on
his most important moments of his great
career. In this first part of the story,
the early stages of Solomon's career are
handled, and all the spectacular
1962-1968 recordings on Atlantic. Miss at
your own peril!
Deep
Five pages of reviews and news from the
rootsy side of our genre, highlighted by
a brand new set by Oscar Toney
Jr, whom Heikki Suosalo recently
met at Oscar's own home in Opelika,
Alabama. Oscar's brand new set on Bob
Grady Records is also our columnist's
number one record in year 2000. Plenty of
other worthwhile listening offer Shirley
Brown, Lady J, Chuck Colbert,
amongst others, and a wealth of reissues
and compilations are reviewed, too.
Upfront Soul Freddie Jackson amazes
with the utterly electrifying live
performance on the BET TV concert album.
Another real delight on the import newie
front is a former prisoner turned into a
great soul singer: Tim Kepler,
who releases one of the most impressive
albums of the whole year. Instead, the
new CD's by Gap Band
lead singer Charlie Wilson, R.
Kelly and Keith Sweat
all sound irritatingly repetitive and
formulaic.
