Cherish D. [2021] - Remember Me [Self Released] (Full EP)

A six track EP from an artist called Cherish D. (Cherise Drayton). The only other release I can find from her is a single 'Wait On It' released 25 Mar 2021 which is included on the EP and is the best track.

However, after a bit of searching I found several videos on J. Paul The Demigod's YT channel of her performing in North Charleston, SC in 2016 so she's been around for several years and seems to have released stuff as Cherish D (without the period at the end).

Having read a post on her facebook, it seems that she put her career on hold for the last five years and is now back with the single and EP.

Apart from 'Wait For Me' the only other track that appeals to me is 'Thru Wit Love' as the others are too R&B oriented from my personal taste but you make like them.

'Wait For Me' is yet another that has 'that' sample, used in Carmyn's 'Come Over', Nialani 'Come Over', Kole Alyse 'We Gon' Make It' and VNUS Feat. Tank The Machine 'Vulnerable' and probably others!

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Details

Rating:	7.5
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / R&B
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	30/04/2021
Value:	£5.94

Roland Johnson & Emily Wallace [2021] - Best Outta You [Blue Lotus]

A new single from veteran singer Roland Johnson with blue-eyed singer Emily Wallace was released on 20 Apr 2021. 

According to the info on MD Records website, Roland Johnson released his first album 'Imagine This' in 2016 aged 68, but there is an album called 'Baby I'm Ready' from 2011 on Spotify and Amazon.

In any case, he had paid his dues prior to this as he released a couple of boogie tracks, in 1983 as part of the duo Johnson & Youngblood 'The Funk Is In The Music' (which, to be, frank is horrible ... you're going to check it out now I bet!), and another in 1990 called 'Nasty Love'. He goes back further than that as he co-wrote a song with Barbara Youngblood called 'What Can I Do To Make You Dance' which was released by Anita Maldonado in 1979, which is actually the best of the three, but that doesn't make it good I'm afraid .. someone left the following comment on Discogs: "The musical equivalent of a cat throwing up on a dog turd in a rat's nest". ... harsh ... but true! .. and it's 12 minutes long! Another one says: "To help answer Anita's question: Try clapping on the 2's & 4's instead of the 1's & 3's". Funnily enough it was her only release!

Anyway, to get back on track, some respected UK DJ's picked up on several tracks on 'Imagine This'. Mick O'Donnel played 'Sweet Little Nothing's' on his radio show and Brian Goucher favourably reviewed it on UK Vibe in which he drew parallels with Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. I'm pretty sure Mr. Merry would have probably played it as it is right up his street! His second/third album 'Set Your Mind Free' was released in 2019, now aged 71. 

It's quite amazing how many soul singers in their late 60s/70s, even 80s, are still releasing material, Al Lindsey, Don Bryant, The Notations, Brother Reggie, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. to name just a few off the top of my head that I've posted recently, and good on them.

UK DJ Cliff Steele visited the Blue Lotus studio in St Louis and picked up copies of the albums to bring back to the UK. He championed the title track of 'Set Your Mind Free' in his DJ sets and subsequently MD Records picked up on it and released it on 45 (MD108) in 2020 flipped with another track from the album 'Now You're Gone'. 

Two releases later (MD110) they released two tracks from his first abum 'Imagine This' on 45 'Yours And Mine' / 'Can't Get Enough'.

You can read the full story from MD records on a post they did on Soul Source.

NB Both 45s are still available from MD Records - links on the Cat No'.

Fast forward to 2021 and he's released a new single with Emily Wallace who also featured on his 2019 album.

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Details

Rating:	7.9
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Blue Lotus
Cat No:	None
Year:	20/04/2021
Key/BPM:	6B/100
Value:	£1

Matt Hoy Feat. Dessy Di Lauro [2021] - Wonderland - A SoulTracks Premiere

SoulTracks has scooped another exclusive, as they did last week with Lamone. This time it's quite a pleasant reggae/soul floater from Matt Hoy featuring Dessy Di Lauro with a track titled 'Wonderland'.

It's due for release on Friday (14 May 2021), but you can listen to it in full on SoulTracks until then as I can't find it available anywhere else.

Dessy Di Lauro is an R&B/neo ragtime singer from L.A. (born in Montreal) who debuted in 2004. She has a great set of pipes, but her neo-ragtime material is an acquired taste, which I've yet to acquire!

Matt Hoy has been a member of the Ali Cambell's new UB40 since 2009. (UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro & Mickey to give the band their full title as it appears to be a touchy subject with UB40 followers!)

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Genre/Style:	Soul/Reggae
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	TBA
Cat No:	None
Year:	14/05/2021
Key/BPM:	N/A
Value:	£1

Miriam & The Quinces [2021] - Fragments 1 [UPONZELLA Entertainment] (Full EP)

We've had plenty of Scandivavian and Dutch blue-eyed soul recently, so how about some from Switzerland?

Miriam & The Quinces is a new name to me and they appear to be a new group. They have released a five track EP on 8 May 2021. 

When I heard 'The One', which has an 80s throwback sound, and then saw it featured Dynasty, I wondered if it may be a sample of an old Dynasty track, but it turns out that this Dynasty is a female NY rapper. Having said that though, the track definately has that Solar sound of the late 70s/early 80s (i.e. Shalamar/Dynasty) to my ears. 

Sadly, though, it's another case of why let a good tune get in the way of an excuse to rap? It chugs along quite nicely thank you, for two minutes and then a twenty second rap kicks in, before another 1:50 to to end. I really don't understand it. Do rappers charge by the second? Presumably it's to try and add some 'street cred'/commerciality for the kids .. and ruin it for us oldies😉!

Miriam Sutter is a jazz singer, as can be heard on track 2 'Scat Skit'. The guest artists include: I.L.L. Will, a hip-hop artist from Hamburg, Dynasty a NY rapper, Flip an urban artist from Quebec and Rapture Boy, who is rapper Bernhard Shaquille.

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Details

Rating:	7.6
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Blue-Eyed
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Label
Cat No:	None
Year:	08/05/2021
Value:	£3.49

Bob Marley 40th Anniversary - 6 Feb 1945 - 11 May 1981

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the passing of reggae pioneer and legend Robert Nesta Marley on 11 May 1981 aged only 36. He would have been 76 on 6 Feb 2021.

He released his first record in 1962, aged 17. It is astonishing to look back on the fact that he didn't have a UK hit until Sep. 1975, and less than six years later was no longer with us.

I contemplated what to post and then had the brainwave of checking Joel Whitburn's 'bible' of R&B hit singles to see what entered the US R&B chart. His first three, of only seven entries, were the highest: 'Roots, Rock, Reggae' #37, 'Exodus' #19 and 'Waiting In Vain' #38, so I'll go with those  (12" version of 'Exodus' and US version of 'Waiting') , plus one other 'Wake Up And Live' #93, as two of the above are very well known.

I also did a post in Feb to commemorate his birthday with some live tracks and alternate takes.

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Diane Marsh [2021] - I'm Taken (I'm Spoken For) [Self Released]

I've already posted this on 2 May, but at the time it was only available directly from her website. It was released yesterday (10 May) on all digital platforms and was a new entry into the Starpoint soul chart at #22 this week.

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Details

Rating:	8.7
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	10/05/2021
Key/BPM:	4A/95
Value:	£1

Nicholas Davis [2021] - Let's Work It Out [Self Released]

Nicholas Davis is a new artist from Macon, GA, who debuted last Nov with 'Man Like Me', which is good, but not as good as his latest release, which is outstanding, so it's probably unfair to compare, so I've posted them both. He wrote both of the songs. Apparently, he claims on his facebook, that he's already being compared with Gerald Levert!

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Deep Soul Ballad
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Year:	27/04/2021
Key/BPM:	4A/55
Value:	£1

Estee Pierce [2016] - Life Stories [Branamion Records] (Full Album)

You may have spotted a new feature on the blog started this week 'SoulStrutter's Selection of the Week'. Each week I'll highlight my favourite new release, as otherwise they get buried in other posts. This week's honour goes to Estee Pierce with his new single 'Spoil You'. 

As it's pretty quiet still on the new release front I thought I'd post his only (known) album which he released in 2016. What a 'hidden' gem this is, probably known only by the real connoiseurs. It's still available digitally, I don't know it it was ever released on CD, I guess not as it isn't even listed on Discogs (I can't find one if it was)! 

To highlight a particular track would be churlish as there's not a bad track on the whole album. The tracks are, in the main, deep and soulful ballads with 'Grown Folks Dancin' and 'Just Call Me' being the only uptempo tracks. I hear similarities in parts to Luther's 'Never Too Much' in 'Grown Folks Dancin' which is a stepper. There are two versions, the remix includes some rap.

I 'suspect' that Branamion is his own, independent, label, and as alluded to in the 'Spoil You' post, I think he's from the Newport News/Hampton City area of Virginia as, from his facebook posts, he performs regularly in this area, but that's all I've been able to discover.

New bio posted here.

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Details

Rating:	8.8
Genre/Style:	Real Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Branamion Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	20/03/2016
Value:	£7.99

Pockets [2021] - Work It Out (Dave Lee Redemition Mix) [Z Records]

This one had me scratching my head, as I originally thought it was a remix of an old Pockets track, but couldn't find any trace of it, and then discovered that it is actually a new song release in Jun 2020. Apparently Pockets were so impressed by Dave Lee's 2016 remix of their classic 'Come Go With Me' that they asked him to work on a new single with them.

It's a real tasty lick with an authentic old school feel. It comes in two sizes: 3:31 Edit and full length 6:28. Released 7 May 2021.

I've thrown in the Dave Lee / Joey Negro mix of 'Come Go With Me' as well.

Pockets were from Baltimore and were a protege band of EWF who they regularly opend for. They released three albums on Columbia between 1977-79. The mainstays of the group are brothers Gary & Glen Grainger, who formed their own group Graingers in the 90s and released three albums  on GBM Phase I, II & III. Pockets reunited in 2020.

Details

Rating:	8.2
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Z Records
Cat No:	None
Year:	07/05/2021
Key/BPM:	4A/118
Value:	£1

SMOKIN'theJAZZ Feat. JUDY [2021] - Look Up At The Sky [Loud Minority Productions]

New release from Tokyo trio SMOKIN'theJAZZ. The core group consists of Shu Fujiyama (guitar), Sugames Japon (keyboards) and NOBUdaDREAD (turntables) with guest musicians and vocalists.

They debuted in 2018 with 'The Initial Impulse' EP and, to date, have released around half a dozen singles (on vinyl, many of which have been released digitally, both A and B sides) and three albums.

I guess you'd classify the latest release as Nu Disco.

I can't find a video for the new single, but have included one from their debut single/EP 'The Initial Impulse' called 'Silent Treatment' which has jazz/hop flavas, which I think is pretty cool.  I've not come across this group before but on the strength of 'Silent Treatment' will be checking out their back catalogue!

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Details

Rating:	7.5
Genre/Style:	Nu Disco
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Loud Minority Productions
Cat No:	None
Year:	05/05/2021
Key/BPM:	7B/111
Value:	£1