SOUL - Can You Feel It

SIDE ONE
Can You Feel It
Tell It Like It Is
Do What's Never You Want To Do
Peace Of Mind

SIDE TWO
My Cherie Amour
Love, Peace And Power
To Mend A Broken Heart
Sleeping Beauty

Produced by Steve Feldman and Richard Talmadge for Musicor / Talmadge Production
Recorded in NYC in 1972.

With :
Lee Lovett (b., voc.)
Larry Hancock (org., voc.)
Gus Hawkins (fl, sax)
Walter Winston (g.)
Paul Stubblefield (d.)

This is the second album of the SOunds of Unity and Love (SOUL). Maturity has gained ground since What It Is and covers give way to outstanding originals. Energy is still present on this album even if the tracks are more arranged and better produced.

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F.A.T. - Funky And Tough

SIDE ONE
How Can I Explain
Life Is A Beautiful THing
Feelings
Satan's Dream

SIDE TWO
Magician Man
Doing Bad
Free My Mind
Tip Of My Tongue

Produced by Willie Clarke for Bold Records and TK Productions.
Recorded in 1977.

With :
Eric "Fat" Gallon (d., voc.)
McKinley Odom (b.)
Tom Naguet (g.)
Kenny Jones (tp)
Anthony Clayton (t. sax.)
Oliver Crew (bass 747 tb)
Oscar Daley (tb)

Fat Gallon is a recording session drummer. His only album for Bold Records is hard to find. But it has been reissued in high quality.
Amazing is the best adjective to qualify the tracks of this record : soul, funk, p-funk and psyche are mixed and the mood is quite crazy.
Not as Funky And Tough as could suggest the title, but really preposterous!!

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James Brown - Reality

SIDE ONE
Reality
Funky President (People It's Bad)
Further On Up The road
Check Your Body
Don't Fence Me In

SIDE TWO
All For One
I'm Broken Hearted
The Twist
Who Can I Turn To

Produced by James Brown for Polydor.
Recorded in NYC in 1974.
Arranged by James Brown, Fred Wesley and Dave Matthews.

With :
James Brown (voc.)
The JBS

Probably not the best year for James Brown with his problems of drug and despair. In spite of this, he produces here some funky dance tracks (Funky President, Check Your Body, Reality) and covers of Cole Porter's Don't Fence Me In, Briscusse show tune Who Can I Turn To, Further On Up The Road and an unrecognizable rendition of Hank Ballard's The Twist.

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Mike Longo - Talk With The Spirits

SIDE ONE
Wyyoma
Roma
The Proclamation

SIDE TWO
Angel Of Love
Talk With The Spirits

Produced by Dizzy Gillespie for Pablo Records .
Recorded in NYC in 1976.

With :
Mike Longo (ac. p.)
Harold Vick (t. sax.)
Virgil Jones (tp)
George Davis (g.)
Bob Cranshaw (b.)
Mickey Roker (d.)
Dizzy Gillespie (perc. & voc.)

A jazz-funk album by Dizzy Gillespie's pianist Mike Longo. All the tracks are composed by Mike Longo. He plays here only acoustic piano but the feeling is still very funky.
Something sure : all the musicians took a lot of pleasure to play on this album!!

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Jack McDuff - The Fourth Dimension

SIDE ONE
Layin' Back
Rolling Stone
The Fourth Dimension
Half Breed

SIDE TWO
The City Bump
All Is Fair In Love
Show Casing

Produced by Esmond Edwards for Cadet Records.
Recorded in NYC in 1974.

With :
Jack McDuff (org., el.p., kb)
Jean DuShon (voc.)
Harold Vick (t. sax.)
Joe Farrell (t. sax., fl.)
Pee Wee Ellis (s. & t. sax, fl.)
Joe Newman (tp)
Richard Williams (tp)
Seldon Powell (b. sax.)
Garnett Brown (tb)
Joe Beck (g.)
Eric Johnson (g.)
Jimmy Ponder (g.)
Gordon Edwards (b.)
Wilbur Bascomb (b.)
Grady Tate (d.)
Norman Pride (perc.)

Jack McDuff proves here once more his ability to bring up to date his interpretation of jazz and groove.
The City Bump, played by McDuff, Ellis (on flute), Ponder and Tate, is an irresistible jazz groove track, fat and minimal.

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Ceasar Frazier - 75

SIDE ONE
Mighty Mouse
Summer Breeze
Sweet Children

SIDE TWO
Funk It Down
Living For The city
Walking On The Side

Produced by Bob Porter for Westbound Records.
Arranged and conducted by Horace Ott.

With :
Ceasar Frazier (org., el. p., kb)
Jon Faddis (tp)
Joe Shepley (tp)
Garnett Brown (tb)
Charlie Brown (t. sax.)
Babe Clarke (b. sax)
Horace Ott (ac. & el. p.)
John Tropea (g.)
David Spinozza (g.)
Richie Resnikoff (g.)
Cornell Dupree (g.)
Wilbur Bascomb (b.)
Bernard Purdie (d.)
Jimmie Young (d.)
Buddy Caldwell (perc.)
Joe Venuto (perc.)

On the ring : Ceasar Frazier versus Horace Ott (B3 Hammond versus Fender Rhodes). It is the most sensational and spectacular meeting of the Year (75, as the title of the album). A fabulous dance between all those musicians. The arrangements are massive and the beat is fat.
A must-have for jazz and funk lovers.

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Al Hirt - Soul in the Horn

SIDE ONE
Honey Pot
Mess Around
Calypsoul
Long Gone
Sweetlips
Girl

SIDE TWO
Love Ya Baby
Sunday Goin to Meetin Time
Snap Back
Harlem Hendoo
Ludwig

Arranged and conducted by Teacho Wiltshire & Paul Griffin for RCA Victor in 1967

Al Hirt (trumpet)
The other musicians are not mentionned.

This New Orleans trumpeter is best known for his work as a mainstream pop artist. He tries to make this album soulful as the title said and well, he succeded. Even if a lot of track keep its pop sound, you can find some funky drum breaks on "Honey Pot" and "Girl". The "Harlem Hendoo" track I mentionned is a monster one, a solid jazz funk base with a deep atmosphere and an oriental feeling.

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Mary Watkins - Something Moving

SIDE ONE
Yesterday's Children
Back Rap
Brick Hut
A Chording to people

SIDE TWO
Leaving All the Shadows Behind
Witche's Revenge
I Hear Music

Produced by June Willington and arranged by Mary Watkins for Olivia Record in 1978.

With:
Mary Watkins (keys, lead voc,string & vocals arr)
Jerene Wackson (ele & classic guitar)
Joy Julks (electric bass, french horn)
Linda Tillery (drums, perc, voc)
Vicki Randle (voc, congas)
Donna D. Dickerson (voc, lead voc)
Gwen Avery (voc, lead voc)
Colleen Stewart (clav)
Bonnie Kovaleff (trumpet)
Priscilla Andrews (violin)
Sabrina Berry (viola)
Stephanie Harice (violin)
Melian Eldalin (violin)
Hilda Lakewood (violin)
Kirsten Wickham (cello)

An all woman personel for this album on the feminist label Olivia.
Mainly jazz but many influences such as blues, funk & cinematic.
Two good tracks in a jazzfunk influence : Brick Hut with his great bass sound
Witche's Revenge is more in a fusion mood with a very good sound a rhodes making a cinematic atmosphere.

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Harold McNair - The Fence

SIDE ONE
The Fence
True Love Adventure
Early In the Morning

SIDE TWO
Scarborough Fair
Here, There and Anywhere

Recorded in Chelsea, England in 1970.
Produced by Sandy Roberton for September Productions and B&C Records

With :
Harold McNair (sax., fl. & el. sax.)
Rick Grech (b.)
Keith Tippett (p.)
Colin Green (g.)
Alan Branscombe (p.)
Terry Cox (d.)
Danny Thompson (ac. b.)
Tony Carr (perc.)

This is not funk but a very funky 70s jazz played by jamaican flautist and his english band. Harold McNair is really a fantastic musician inspired by Roland Kirk. All the tracks are both soulful and modern.


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