Category Archives: Articles

The Natural Soul Brothers Ltd / The Four Thoughts

“Cement, Plaster & Gold” / “Kisses & Roses”

Label: Soul Direction
Catalogue Number: SD019
Release Date: 24th November 2023
Format: 7’

Staying in my favourite state of Philly, we continue with 2 sublime tracks from the Wally-O- Production stables.
The home of Herb Johnson & The Impacts, The Topics and the soul duo of Jeri Payne and Joe Freeman aka. Jeri & Joe. The two tracks featured in this latest Soul Direction Release are both prime examples of the forgotten and obscure talents from this Wally Osborne production line.

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Jessie Laine Powell

‘Like No Other Love’ / ‘Love Supreme’ / On The Edge / Pure Love

Jessie Laine Powell has been deemed a timeless classic soulful voice. Born in Lexington Kentucky, Jessie grew up in a home filled with the gospel music of the church and that of her talented siblings. But it was the jazz influence of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson, Shirley Horn, and the Lawrence Welk Show that stirred her soul and began to dominate her musical taste.

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All Platinum – The Making of a Sound

26th October 2023Collectors Soulbook, soul musicMick

Author: Steve Guarnori
ISBN: 978-1-3999-5659-8
Release Date: 26th November 2023

All Platinum – The Making of a Sound is the long overdue detailed history of All Platinum records from 1967-1979. The book contains 534 pages and over 300,000 words, dealing with each year in the company’s history as well as telling the stories of its artists and the musicians who signed for the company each year.

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Alvarez

‘I Can’t Make It’ /‘I Can’t Stop Loving’

Label: Izipho Soul Records
Catalogue Number: ZP94
Release Date: 20th Oct 2023
Format: 7’

IZIPHO SOUL in association with SOUL SESSION are extremely proud to present the 7” release of ALVAREZ’s ‘I Can’t Make It’ and ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ – two exceptional pieces of previously unissued music, taken from the only known 1977 Columbia Promotional Test Pressing LP, courtesy of Tamas Bogyo (Soul Session). These tracks are from the same session that spawned the Polydor 7” ‘Sooner Or Later’, however the album never gained a release.

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ATLANTIS JAZZ ENSEMBLE

Atlantis rising anew with Celestial Suite

The Atlantis Jazz Ensemble is on the rise once again with Celestial Suite, a brilliant set of spiritual soul-jazz, with a righteous energy in the mode of some of the best work on independent labels such as Strata East or Tribe back in the day, though updated with a fresh current vibe. With the blend of electric piano, sax, trumpet, bass and percussion presented here, the quintet has refined the searching, soaring quality of their sound, capturing over the course of two days in the studio an inspired session worthy of the skyward promise of the album’s title.

The group was first formed by Pierre Chrétien and Zakari Frantz of The Souljazz Orchestra back in 2013, as an outlet for the more modal, esoteric and spiritual compositions they were exploring outside the confines of their original unit. After the addition of trumpeter Ed Lister, bassist Alex Bilodeau and drummer Mike Essoudry, the Atlantis Jazz Ensemble released their maiden voyage Oceanic Suite in 2016, a bold first outing that became a bit of an underground classic, capturing the number two spot on the Canadian radio jazz charts that year (just behind BadBadNotGood’s IV), and leading Atlantis to open up live for the likes of Kamasi Washington and Anderson Paak.

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Judy Freeman and Blackrock / Marshall Hooks

‘I Know Where You’re Coming From’ / ‘She Is All I Need’

Label: The Preservation Project
Catalogue Number: 015
Release Date: 29th Sep 2023
Format: 7’

Did you know that Judy Freeman and Blackrock cut more songs than the 4 that were put out in 1971? We know of at least one.
“I Know Where You’re Coming From” is a 70s funky Northern Soul masterpiece. We’ve rescued a lost, never heard before, track by the group for the A-Side here. Fans of their music will immediately connect with this blistering anthemic Northern Soul monster. Go ahead and grab the talcum powder, and prepare to dance up a storm to this one.

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Jewel Bass

“In And Out Of Love”

Label: Soul4Real Records
Catalogue Number: S4RLP03
Release Date: 20th September 2023
Format: LP

Jewel Bass’ recordings have, over time, developed a global underground following. The fact that Malaco Records used Jewel as a backing singer on so many of their A-Listers recordings (Johnnie Taylor, Latimore, Bobby Bland, Z.Z. Hill, Dorothy Moore, etc.) speaks far more to her talent than I can ever write in 300 words!

Jewel started singing in church but began her career in secular music when a friend approached her to ask if she would replace a singer in his band who was ill. She was only required for one song, and she agreed to do the gig on a one-off basis to help out. It was all that was needed to start her career. She joined the band and went on the road with them.

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Danny Ward & Reality

Label: Jazz Room Records
Catalogue Number: JAZZ027
Release Date: 29th September 2023
Format: LP

Another Holy Grail album from Jazz Room Records with Danny Ward & Reality who were the Go To Funky Jazz Band for College and other Hardcore Funk Party gigs in the Mid to late ’70’s in the Seattle area of the Pacific North West. They didn’t just drop covers of the latest Disco or Top 40 hits though but instead took their audiences on a musical trip through the Funkiest and Jazziest sounds of the day featuring a coterie of Steely Dan inspired covers of cuts made famous by George Benson, Lydia Pense and Coldblood, The Headhunters , Mandrill and many more.

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ONEGRAM

“TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS” / “AEO”

Label: Jazz Room Records
Catalogue Number: JAZZ029
Release Date: September 2023
Format: EP

When we do something Funky at Jazz Room Records you can be sure it’s gonna be a Dancefloor Smashsation! Got TWO Super Dynamic cuts on this Hot Slab of Wax. First track needs no introduction unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock for the last Dancefloor Millenium.

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Heart Soul & Inspiration

“I’m Gonna Love You More” (Parts 1 &2)

Label: Izipho Soul Records
Catalogue Number: ZP98
Release Date: 22nd September 2023
Format: 7’

Mythical band ‘Heart-Soul & Inspiration’ and their band leader, L.A. drummer and producer Vince Howard cut their self-titled (and only) album in 1974 for the Los Angeles-based Viscojon label. The result was an astonishing collection of music filled with playful sexy moans, climaxing grooves and soulful hooks.

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Dwayne Scivally

“Point O f No Return” / “So Good”

Label: Izipho Soul Records
Catalogue Number: ZP97
Release Date: 22nd September 2023
Format: 7’

We are delighted to announce our second 7” release with Nashville smooth soul man Dwayne Scivally.

Prior to his highly respected LPs with French music maestro Thomas G, Dwayne recorded an album in 2016 entitled ‘Stay Until The Morning’. The CD has virtual invisible status, with no sales documented on Discogs.

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Menagerie

Catalogue Number: FRS149
Label: Freestyle Records
Release Date: *29th September 2023
Format: *LP /CD / Digital

Menagerie is the Melbourne-based Jazz ensemble founded by producer, songwriter, guitarist, DJ and recording artist Lance Ferguson, also the driving force behind The Bamboos, Lanu, Rare Groove Spectrum and Machines Always Win.

2 years on from their last full-length Many Worlds, Menagerie are back with The Shores Of Infinity, further expanding their sound out into the music universe, a forward-looking, rhythm-heavy expression of contemporary Jazz that is steeped in the tradition but somehow also defies genre pigeonholing. The title track sees California-based spoken word alchemist Thee Cosmic Poet dropping wisdom over the undulating, hypnotic drums of Felix Bloxsom, before the whole track builds into an epic climax with the incendiary, apocalyptic tenor saxophone work of Phil Noy. Lead single “Kingdom” builds a groove with sinewy bass, phased-out Fender Rhodes and angular horn lines. The second section opens into a syncopated vehicle for the masterful Trumpet of Ross Irwin. Here is contemporary live Jazz-Funk influenced in equal parts by the music of West London’s Broken Beat movement as well as Roy Ayers and Donald Byrd.

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Richard Hartley & Soul Resurrection

“Jesus Makes Me Happy” / “Heart And Soul”

Label: Izipho Soul Records
Catalogue Number: ZP099
Release Date: August 2023
Format: 7’

Izipho Soul Records are thrilled to announce the 7” release of the Modern Gospel Soul Banger Jesus Makes Me Happy by Richard Hartley & Soul Resurrection – Presented on vinyl is ‘The Joyful Exaltation Edit’, this excludes the rap from the original version.

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Unity

“The Other Side of You” / “Going To A Carnival”

Label: Soul-Direction Records
Catalogue Number: SD018
Release Date: 4th August 2023
Format: 7’

Following on from the enormous success of the first two releases by The Decisions on Soul Direction and courtesy of Fred White and the Decisions we give you another double sided masterpiece from master tapes kindly provided by the band.
The 5 young men who formed The Decisions, originally started their own Record Label – York Records in the late 60s and recorded two releases on the label which to this day are still very sought after amongst soul collectors. They then went onto record for Sussex Records in the early 70s. The Los Angeles-based label founded by Clarence Avant and distributed by Buddah Records.

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Joe Graham / John Edwards

‘Higher Than High’ / ‘It’s Got To Be The Real Thing For Me This Time’

Label: Kent-City Records
Catalogue Number: CITY 087
Release Date: 25th August 2023
Format: 7’

The recent find of four Joe Graham recordings in the GRC/Aware tapes has shown there was much more to Joe’s talents than the southern soul of his 60s Chant recordings and the synthesiser, electro pop he recorded for various Atlanta labels in the 80s. ‘Higher Than High’ is a soulful disco number featuring a relentless beat. The track already has a strong following, thanks to advance plays in Europe and the UK from DJ Dave Thorley. This track, along with three other numbers, were recorded around 1976 for the GRC stable – just as the company was floundering so badly that the songs were left as unmixed multi-track tapes. Now mixed the demand for this one will be high.

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