Tuesday, August 12, 2014

NEW RELEASES - ERIC ROBERSON - THE BOX; TOM HARRELL - TRIP; ETTA JAMES - IT TAKES LOVE TO KEEP A WOMAN (THE ALLEN TOUSSAINT SESSIONS)

ERIC ROBERSON - THE BOX

Stunning soul from Eric Roberson – an artist we've already loved for many years, but who just keeps on getting better and better with each new record! The album's got a near-perfect feel that lives up to the poise and confidence displayed by Roberson on the cover – songwriting that's deeply soulful and very personal, and able to embrace a much greater range of ideas than so many of his contemporaries – a richness that goes back to Eric's earlier roots in house and hip hop, but served up with a power to match the classic soul singers of the 70s! The bottom is nice and deep – with the kind of boom you'd expect from the box of the cover – but there's also loads of warm jazzy inflections too – both in Roberson's vocals, and in the instrumentation. Titles include "Haunted", "Pill", "The Box", "Lust For Love", "I'm Not Trying To Keep Score No More", "Punch Drunk Love", "The Cycle", and "Do The Same For Me".  ~ Dusty Groove

TOM HARRELL - TRIP

Some of the densest, most powerful music we've heard from trumpeter Tom Harrell in years – and that's saying a lot, given how much we've loved all his other recent records! Tom's working here in a very spare setting – no piano, just a quartet format with Mark Turner on tenor, alongside bass and drums – a mode that really has Harrell's horn out front, often intertwining with Turner – as each then break out into these stunningly conceived solos. Both rhythm players break out tremendously – balancing out the sound of the record equally with the horns – and Ugonna Okegwo plays bass and Adam Cruz handles the drums. The set has a long suite in the center – "The Adventures Of A Quixotic Character" – and is bracketed by equally great numbers that include "Sunday", "Cycle", "Coastline", "After The Game Is Over", and "There". ~ Dusty Groove


ETTA JAMES - IT TAKES LOVE TO KEEP A WOMAN (THE ALLEN TOUSSAINT SESSIONS)

An overlooked gem from Etta James – a late 70s collaboration with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint – and a set that's got some of the same funky power as her early 70s material for Chess Records! Toussaint's vibe is a bit different, but also has a lot more bite than some of his bigger-name productions of the period – a real return to the kind of sharp snaps and rugged rhythms he brought to his initial classics – as well as some deeper soul modes that really help keep James at her best, by fleshing out the record with a good degree of emotion. Titles include "Who's Getting Your Love", "Night People", "With You In Mind", "Mean Mother", "Don't Stop", "Night By Night", and "Wheel Of Fire". ~ Dusty Groove


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