For his latest album, Grammy winning sax man Kirk Whalum pays homage to what is considered one of jazz's key romantic albums - the mid fifties collaboration between John Coltrane and the then unknown vocalist Johnny Hartman. The LP featured six lesser known "standards" like Irving Berlin's 'They Say It's Wonderful', Billy Strayhorn's 'Lush Life' and Richard Rodger's 'You Are Too Beautiful' and it's long been one of Whalum's favourite albums.
To craft his version of the masterpiece, Whalum asked his brother Kevin to handle the vocal parts while pianist John Stoddart was brought in to co-produce and arrange. The trio soon realized that a straight copy would have been redundant, so they rightly decided to place the music in a 21st century context - with arrangements that are based in modern soul, smooth jazz and adult orientated pop and the result is a refined, sophisticated, soporific, achingly romantic yet heady cocktail. Throughout, Kirk Whalum's sax is as silky and melodic as ever while Kevin's vocals are understated and sensitive though always confident... try 'My One And Only Love' for starters.
To complete the album, Whalum offers covers of four contemporary soul and R&B songs with instrumental versions of Eric Benet's 'Spend My Life With You' and Joe's 'I Wanna Know' being outstanding. The real highlight however is a take on Brandy's 'Almost Doesn't Count'. Here there is a vocal - and it's taken by the Whalum's 83 year old uncle Hugh 'Peanuts' Whalum who brings an enchanting world-weariness to the cut. He sounds just right and totally believable on this paean to broken hearts. He transforms what was essentially a teen angst anthem into a mature exploration of lost love.
The album gets a high profile release on Valentine's Day. Let's hope that lovers who invest in the CD (and they really should) have more luck than poor old "Peanuts" sounds like he had!
(BB) 4/5
Last Updated on Monday, 06 February 2012 16:01
Brooklyn's Little Anthony And The Imperials are best known for their mid 60s sweet soul ballads 'Hurt So Bad' and 'Goin Out Of My Head' though on the Northern scene they're revered for the much more energized 'Better Use Your Head'. For all kinds of reasons the group have been badly served by the reissue labels, but here there's a chance to catch up on what most critics consider their two best LPs with this re-promoted BGO "twofer". The collection pairs 1965's DCP album 'Goin' Out Of My Head' with '66's 'Payin Our Dues' which was released on Veep. The group's mentor Teddy Randazzo helmed both sets and the style he perfected for the group bridged perfectly the doo-wop flavours with which the foursome had started their careers and the new, emerging sweet symphonic soul that was to hit its peak with Thom Bell.
In 1961 the East Germans started to erect the Berlin Wall, heralding what was to become The Cold War. Worldwide, however, teenagers weren't that bothered. They were obsessed trying to master the new dance craze that was the Twist – a dance American teens had long since jettisoned in favour of the more exotic Shimmy, Monkey Time and Continental Walk. In the UK, the cult TV show 'The Avengers' had its first screening while a youthful foursome called The Beatles made their debut at a Liverpool club, the Cavern. In the USA Frank Sinatra set up Reprise Records, the Everly Brothers were drafted into the Marine Corps, Ray Charles was busted for drugs and the soul music he'd helped to create was just starting to impact.
Black Ivory were a Harlem-based, 70s sweet soul trio – Leroy Burgess, Stuart Bascombe and Russell Patterson. Their biggest hit was 1972's 'Don't Turn Around' but despite more classy cuts (and a series of decent LPs) the hits dried up and by 1980 the core trio had disbanded. Patterson tried to keep the name alive by touring with pick up singers while Burgess became something of a cult figure on the then emerging dance scene (much of his back catalogue from that period has recently been reissued). At the same time Burgess and Patterson worked together at Salsoul under the name Logg.
Beryl Marsden's musical story begins back in the heady days of the mid 60s Merseybeat boom. Then a diminutive teenager, Beryl belted out soul and R&B covers with the best of the Liverpool bands. She won a contract with Decca and released a number of great singles which for all kinds of reasons didn't dent the charts. A switch to Columbia didn't change young Beryl's luck so a bewildered management teamed her with the acclaimed instrumentalist Peter Bardens and a young vocalist called Rod Stewart in a mid 60s "super group" – The Shotgun Express. Again, though, chart success remained elusive. Despite all that, Beryl stuck with music – recording sporadically herself and becoming an in-demand session and backing singer. In that latter role she enjoyed the unique role of being the only ever white Vandella!
