DJ Spen & Gary Hudgins Feat. Brandon Yancey [2021] - Sumthin Sumthin (Remixes) [Quantize]

Back in Feb I posted a new version of Maxwell's 'Sumthin Sumthin' by DJ Spen & Gary Hudgins Feat. Brandon Yancey. It's just been given a fresh mix by Jihad Muhammad - the BTD remix and The Funky Flow mix which is more like the Maxwell original.

Full set of extended mixes here.

Funky Flow Mix

Jihad Muhammad BTD Radio Edit

Details

Rating:	8
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Quantize
Cat No:	None
Year:	19/03/2021
Key:	3B / 3B
BPM:	96 / 122
Value:	£4.95

MS1 Project Feat. Jerome Vintage [2021] - Start Me Up [Self Released]

This is the first single from MS1 Project (featuring Jerome Vintage) released 16 Apr 2021 from a forthcoming album/EP due later this year. It only seems to be available via BandCamp currently.

MS1 Project are Mike 'DJ Blue' Harrison & GEO (Mike's brother George Harrison). They debuted in 2017 with a couple of singles. In 2019 they released 'Changes' album which featured artists like Raja Nee, Sean Q, Deli Rowe, Tempo Stokes, Shaila Prospere and Jerome Vintage.

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Details

Rating:	7.7
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	16/04/2021
Key:	N/A
BPM:	N/A
Value:	£1.05

Jazzy D Feat. Sophia Ripley [2021[ - Free [Self Released]

A classy neo soul / jazz tune from producer Jazzy D (a Londoner now based in Perth, Australia) featuring the vocals of Sophia Ripley (from Camdridgeshire) is hot off the press today (22 Apr 2021).

Sophia Ripley featured on Luxury Soul 2018 compilation with her debut release 'Little Girl' from 2016. She released her debut album last year which was a set of jazz standards.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Jazz
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	22/04/2021
Key:	8B
BPM:	64
Value:	£1

Claire Reneé [2021] - Check On Ya Friends (Wings) [Self Released] (Full Album)

The debut album from LA based singer Claire Reneé, 'Wings', was released 7 Apr 2021. It leans more towards neo soul / R&B with hints of jazz rather than soul but there are a couple of good soulful tracks. The lead track 'Honey' was released as a single in March but I've selected 'Check On Ya Friends'. 

Claire is a classically trained dancer who studied at The Dance Theatre Of Harlem. She also studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston and New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York.

Listen to Full Album here.

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Details

Rating:	7.7
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	07/04/2021
Key:	1A
BPM:	84
Value:	£1

Ane' [2021] - Learning To Love Myself, Vol. 2 [Self Released] (Full Album)

I posted an album 'Where I'm Coming From' by Ane' only last week, and to be perfectly honest I wasn't particularly complementary about it as many of the tracks sounded off-key to my ears. Well, she has just released another album 'Learning To Love Myself, Vol. 2' on 15 Apr 2021 and sounds like a completely different, much better, singer. So my guess is that perhaps this is an earlier recording when she was younger as her voice sounds much stonger?

All the tracks, except for 'Anytime, Anyplace' (which is a cover of Janet Jackson song from 1993) were written by a combination of Mike Warner and Shirley Ann Marshall, so again I am guessing that she may be Shirley Ann Marshall .. and perhaps the album was recorded in the 90s as it's got that early 90s feel about it?

This album is pretty consitent all through, and if I'm right that it was recorded in the 90s it stands up well in 2021. 

Don't be fooled by the slow and smouldering intro to her version of Jackson's 'Anytime, Anyplace' as it picks up pace into a good latin jazz flava'd dancer and is probably my choice cut on the album. 'What Are We Gonna Do' is another good stepper. 'I Want You All Tonight' is possibly the track to give away the date as it's right in that new jack swing early 90s mould. 'All I Ever Wanted Was You' is a nice soulful jazz/swing number.

On first listen there's not a bad track on the album. With fourteen tracks, I'm sure when I get time to listen to them all properly there will be others I warm to.

If anyone has more information on the artist or this recording then please leave a comment as I can find no details about her.

Details

Rating:	8.2
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	15/04/2021
Value:	£7.99

The Notations v The Mighty Marvelows - In The Morning

The Notations are a Chicago group formed in 1969 who later split into two groups The Ledgends and a new Notations led by Clifford Curry. They have re-emerged in the last few years releasing sweet soul ballads. 

Their latest offering (released 11 Apr 2021) is a cover of a song originally recorded in 1967 by The Mighty Marvelos which had a storming Northern Soul tune 'Talkin' Bout Ya, Baby' on the flip side. 

'In The Morning' was written by two of the group members Melvin Mason and Andrew Thomas. The Marvelos had a hit with 'Do I' in 1965 and by 1967 had changed their name to The Mighty Marvelows to avoid confusion with the LA group The Marvellos who recorded for Loma. This was their only other record to chart, reaching #24 R&B & 105 Billboard in March 1968.

Here are both versions.

The Notations [2021] - In The Morning [Silent Giant]

The Mighty Marvelows [1967] - In The Morning [ABC #11011]

Details

Rating:	8.2
Genre/Style:	Sweet Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Silent Giant
Cat No:	None
Year:	12/04/2021
Key:	2B
BPM:	92
Value:	£1

Martha AB [2021] - Wants & Needs [FourFourSoul Recordings]

Martha AB is another new female artist from London.  She released her debut single with duo Terminal 10 'Wasting Time' last year and followed it up with her solo single 'Loved In Love'. 

Her, jazz tinged, latest single 'Wants & Needs' comes in five flavours. The video clip is the original mix. All the mixes offer something slightly different so I'll post them all, but two of them are squarely aimed at the house market.

She is currently studying jazz and working on her debut album with producers Terminal 10.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Jazz
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	FourFourSoul Recordings
Cat No:	None
Year:	02/04/2021
Key:	12A / 2B / 12A
BPM:	87 / 87 / 106
Value:	£4.95

Davante Thornton [2021] - Luh and Circumstance [Self Released] (Full Album)

I'll stick my neck out and state that this is one of the better albums released this year so far. 

Born in the small town of Hope, AZ, he now resides in Dallas , TX. This appears to be his debut album and the only other material I can find from him is a six track EP 'Smooth Silky Soul' released last year from which a single 'The Way You Do It To Me' was released.

He has a great understatement on his facebook page 'I try to sing a good 2-3 notes on key every now and then'.

Some of the 'choice cuts' include 'Give All My Luh' a deep soul duet with Ruby Miller, 'Closer' a neo soul stepper with female artist Ace,  'No One Knows' a smooth soul ballad, 'Games' would have been my standout track but sadly there's a 20 second rap at 1:30 which interrupts the groove! (I feel a SoiulStrutter edit on it coming!). I really don't know what a 20 second rap in the middle of a 4 min track is supposed to add to the tune? The closing track 'Tonight (I'm Coming Home) 'is a deep soul acapella which displays his vocal ability.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	17/04/2021
Value:	£7.99