Over the last few years IZIPHO SOUL RECORDS has established a reputation for digging out quality, classic soul cuts for reissue or, in some cases, for a very first release and the label’s latest 7” falls sweetly into that last category as Izipho delivers two previously unissued tracks on ALVAREZ.
Alvarez (aka Jason/Jesus Alvarez) has had quite a career. Born in Cuba, his family managed to get to the States where they settled in New Jersey. Young Jason’s music ambitions brought him into contact with Sylvia Robinson and he started singing BVs on various All Platinum recordings – even working with Brother To Brother. He cut a number of solo singles too – the best known ones on Vibration and the most in-demand on Polydor – ‘Sooner Or Later’ (1977) which was to form the centre piece of an LP. It’s from those Polydor album sessions that the two previously unissued, new Izipho sides come.
The A side is a brisk disco dancer, ‘I Can’t Make It’ which delivers a sweet melody and a full, string swept production. The B side is ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ and it mines a similar vein – it’s just a little lighter. Both are perfect mid 70s musical artefacts – the art work (above) gives you the flavour… great moustache!
Both tracks have been taken from the only known test pressing of the 1977 album that never was and Izipho have used them with the co-operation of Hungarian man about soul Tamas Bogyo (Soul Session) who actually owns the disc! Izipho have licensed both tracks directly from Jason Alvarez, who, after some personal financial issues converted to Christianity in the early 80s and he and his wife Gale have been pastoring The Love of Jesus Family Church in Orange, NJ for 37 years! What they do now is a far cry from his 70s musical career but he must be delighted to know that people can, for the first time, enjoy some of his best music. Learn more @ https://www.iziphosoul.com/
