DORREY LYLES is a soul and gospel singer who famously worked with John Howard’s Gospel Caravan and Harlem Gospel Singers. Like many gospel stars, the lure of the secular proved hard to side step and big voiced Dorrey soon found herself singing sessions and BVs. In 2012 she joined the Weather Girls and she’s one of the voices on their 2019 soul chart rider ‘Cheek To Cheek’. That single was a collaboration with the Terri Green Project and we were told that the Weather Girls were working on an album with Cool Million.
Now that sounded an intriguing proposition but nothing seemed to come of that… or did it? Out of the blue almost, Ms Lyles has just released a 6 track mini album, ‘My Realized Dream’ – produced by ROB HARDT … one half of Cool Million of course! Rob tells us that the music is nothing to do with the Sed Soul set up. In fact it’s being released on Germania Records and it’s a wonderful mix of gospel and modern soul best typified by a beautiful ‘Call Your Name’ – one of the best soul tunes I’ve heard this year. It was written by Rob Hardt and David A Tobin and Mr T duets with Dorrey on the song. It’s just a piece of soul beauty…. committed voices in unison and topped with a fabulous horn solo. Yes, I like it!
There are plenty of other goodies on offer. ‘Back To Me’ and ‘Dancing In The Rain’ could’ve come off a Cool Million album; on the other hand ‘Child Of Soul’ and ‘Pay Your Bill’ are both very different to anything you’ve ever heard from the Cool Million team. The set’s sixth track is a cover of the Isley-Jasper-Isley standard, ‘Caravan Of Love’ and it’s another soul delight. Biggest recommendation I can give to this mini collection is that it reminds me of the best of the great Ann Nesby!
