Soul And Funk Music Album Reviews
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Another re-issue of Willie Hutch by Soul Brother Records is the third solo album 'Ode To My Lady' of 1975, originally released on Motown Records (M6-838S1). This album reached #24 on Billboards R&B chart. On this ten tracks album Hutch change his mind again and switched back to the strings but the brass stayed also present on many tracks. This album is full of strings that sounds like the Philly records of those days in the early seventies. If you don't know 'Willie Hutch' as a Motown artist you probably think of PIR. 'Ode To My Lady' has some funky tracks but it has predominantly melodious soul tunes. |
| Buy This CD From SOUL BROTHER RECORDS Now! | |
Join CHRIS JASPER Live with Big John Nance on
Tuesday, April 9th from 7PM-9PM CST (8PM-10PM EST)
They will be celebrating the release of Chris's New CD
"Inspired...By Love, By Life, By The Spirit"
JOIN THE "INSPIRED CD RELEASE PARTY" ON
http://www.wsnr.us 
The west coast based group Tease released their third album 'Remember' back in 1988 on Epic Records. For the production of this album they hired top producer James Mtume.
It's finally available on Gold City Records, the new CD album by ex Isley Brother, Isley Jasper Isley arranger, producer, writer Chris Jasper. 'The One' contains 10 superb tunes in the style we used to from Chris. Click the album page for sound samples.
 | Al B Sure is back on the scene with a new album 'Honey i'm home' and will be released on june 23. The album contains 13 brand new 'romancing' tracks. All thirteen tracks are downtempo tracks. Two of them are covers. The album starts with the single "I love it (Papi Aye Aye Aye)", co-produced by his writing and producing partner Kyle West, is very tuneful, sexy and sounds if he was never been away. Vocals are beautiful, and contains nice analog synth sounds. One of the best tracks. Other great tracks are "Only you" and "4 Life!". "I'm glad" track #3 has also a nice bass line. "All I Wanna do" an urban track with vocoders. Sexy girl on the back! A Favourite one. Two slowtempo tracks "Dedicate My All" and "Bye the Way, By the Way" are assisted by an acoustic guitar. A nice synth sound walks as a melodie line through "Only You!", nice chords and vocals. The track "Whatcha Got?" is very urban, with strange bass line. Another favourite is track #12 "4Life!" the last track "Never Stop Loving You" is too much pop. The two covers are Stings 'Fragile' and Michael Jacksons "Lady in My Life". Pleasantly done with an urban, R&B twist but, for me, it remain covers. All and all an album for lovers of smooth R&B. You can listen to it on Hiddenbeach.com. |
Howard Johnson is working on a new album 'The Orange Album' and will be released this summer in August 2012. I've heard some samples of it and it looks very promising. The tracks i've heard are 'Keep It Coming' and 'Girl Talk' and are definitive in the 'Old School' style.
I asked Howard if his new album is completely in this format. His reaction was: want to keep fans from back in the day I don't think I'd be well accepted if I tried to give my fans a Chris Brown type retro track, the new album will be good.
In the early till mid eighties Howard released three albums. The first album Howard Johnson released was 'Keepin' Love New' The other two albums that Howard Johnson recorded are 'Doin' It My Way', 'Vision'. All three albums are released on A&M Records.
Check the album page For Samples
To be released in February of this year a new duet album from Toni Braxton and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds. This studio album contains 11 smooth soulful tracks including their now #1 single 'Hurt You'. This album is available for pre-order on Amazon in the Uk and US.  | This debut CD of Nigerian Born Douye consist of eleven smoothfull, sensual jazzy soul tracks. The voice of Douye is very sensual comparable with Sade or Anita Baker. This album was released in 2008. Fly away is a lowtempo jazzy soul track with nice chords. 'On For You' is A 'Sade' type of song, mellow, smooth and good. If you like jazzy guitar licks then 'In Love With You' is a song for you. Smooth sound and the sensual voice of Douye does the rest. The title track of the CD 'Journey' is a real jazz tune. A little more uptempo as previous tracks is 'Still Hurting' sounds good but is not one of the best tracks on this CD. Mark Soulandfunkmusic,com |
Another great reissue by Funkytowngrooves from the UK. It's Mtume's album 'You, Me And He' is originally released on EPIC records in 1984. This album is produced by James Mtume. The lead vocals are done by Tawatha Agee. The reissue is an expanded edition of this original record. This CD contains eight bonus tracks. Disclaimer: You will be redirected to the Funkytowngrooves.com site. The item will be placed in funkytowngrooves.com secure shopping cart. Funkytowngrooves.com will dispatch the item from their US or UK office respectively.
Omar Sharif of the American band 'Groove Stu' send me their album for a review which I received just before my holiday. Normally my approach is to skip the tracks on a CD to get a first Impression. But this time I used a different approach. I listened to the CD when cruising to Austria for my yearly holiday with my family. This album made me very relaxed, even for my kids;-) The miles/km flew by. It was apparently a good idea to do it this way.The journey starts with the first great track on this album 'Thing Called Love' a song with beautiful vocal harmonies. Next track 'Take A Chance' has the same ingredients as the previous track, nice guitar licks and vocals.The Featherstones produced track #3 'Make Believe'. The string arrangements on this track are smooth, the same is true for their other slow production 'Where I Wanna Be' (one of my favorites).
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