GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS: ‘The Hits 1973-1985’ (United Souls)
Possessing a gospel-reared voice that is blessed with an unmistakeably silky purr, Gladys Knight, even at 76, is rightly considered one of the greatest female soul voices of all time. Dubbed the “Empress of...
BOBBY WOMACK: The Poet & The Poet II (ABKCO)
2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of BOBBY WOMACK’S classic long player, ‘The Poet’. The album is rightly celebrated as one of soul’s best ever – genre-defining even. What’s more it served...
NAT TURNER REBELLION: ‘Laugh To Keep From Crying’ (Philly Groove/Chrysalis)
Until now, the cult Philadelphia soul and funk group, Nat Turner Rebellion, have deservedly merited nothing more than a brief footnote in the City of Brotherly Love’s music history. After all, the short-lived quartet...
JOSH HOYER & SOUL COLOSSAL; Natural Born Hustler (Color Red)
Soul Colossal hail from Lincoln, Nebraska. Fronted by the stentorian Josh Hoyer, they consist of Benjamin Kushner (guitar), Blake DeForest (trumpet), Mike Keeling (bass) and Harrison ElDorado (drums) and anyone who doubted their name...
STEVE CROPPER; Fire It Up (Mascot/Provogue)
Memphis guitar man STEVE CROPPER needs no long introduction here. His career is rightly storied but, oddly, given his status, the man has released few solo albums. We think his last was 2011’s ‘Dedication’...
CHA WA: My People (Single Lock Records)
With a musical core of Joseph Boudreaux on vocals, drummer/ founder Joe Gelini, guitarist/musical director Ari Teitel, Aurelien Barnes, the trumpeter and percussionist and keyboardist Andriu Yanovski, Cha Wa is a modern New Orleans-based...
MARILYN McCOO AND BILLY DAVIS JR: Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons (BMG)
I’m sure there are statistics to prove it, but I’m confident that the Beatles’ back catalogue has been plundered more than anyone else’s. I think the very first Beatle cover was in 1963 when...
VARIOUS: Northern Soul’s Classiest Rarities Volume 7 (Kent)
The UK Ace/Kent record label, has over the years, served the soul community admirably and the Northern fraternity has more reason than most to thank the London based set up. From the very start...
STEPHANIE LOTTERMOSER: Hamburg (Leopard)
Stephanie Lottermoser is a German smooth jazz/fusion saxophonist and occasional vocalist. For the past few years, she’s been living in Hamburg, a city which she absolutely loves. Stephanie says: “In September 2018 I set...
