Ruth Koleva & Diggs Duke [2022] - Beyond Borders [Wicked Wax Music]

Now this is what I'm talking about, released last Friday (14 Jan 2022), "Beyond Borders"  is the classiest tune I've heard this week so far (and therefore a strong candidate for SoulStrutter Selection of the Week) from Ruth Koleva and Diggs Duke. Even at three minutes it seems far too short!

Ruth Koleva is originally from Bulgaria but has spent time in Bahrain, India, Thailand and The Netherlands before winning a scholarship from The Stevie Wonder Foundation in 2007 and studied at Hollywood Pop Academy in L.A. 

Diggs Duke is Jonathan Diggs Duke Ellington from Harrisburg, PA, who released an album "Offerings For Anxious" on Gilles Petersen's Brownswood Recordings in 2013. His voice reminds me a tad of Jarrod Lawson on this track, what do you think?

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	9
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Wicked Wax Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	14/01/2022
Key/BPM:	6A/55
Value:	£1

Michael B. Sutton [2022] - Band Aid For A Broken Heart [The Sound of L.A.]

Michael B. Sutton is a name known to many soul music lovers as he was a member of the Motown studio group Finished Touch along with his wife Brenda Sutton, Kenny Stover, Harold Johnson, Michael McGloiry and Larry Brown. They released just one album "Need To Know You Better" in 1978 from which three singles were released with only one hitting the lower reaches of the R&B chart "Sticks And Stones" (#88). They released a further two singles, one being quite a big club hit in 1979  "The Down Sound" but Motown shelved their second (self-titled) album.

He and his wife Brenda were discovered by Stevie Wonder and joined Motown as writers and artists in 1974 but apart from performing with Finished Touch released no other material as artists but contributed to several Motown hits. as writers most notably on The Original 1976 album "Down To Love Town" on which they wrote several of the songs jointly and separately. They also wrote Cheryl Lynn's 1981 disco hit "Shake It Up Tonight"

After leaving Motown in 1980 they recorded two albums as the duo Mike & Brenda Sutton and then The Suttons in the early 80s.

Michael B. Sutton is back with a new single "Band Aid For A Broken Heart" released today (21 Jan 2022) which is his third single since 2018. It has an 80s old school warm feel. 

DJ Kool Keith has pointed out to me that it was released on an album "Hopeless Romantic "The Remix"" in 2003 but, after checking, the new version is 40 seconds shorter so must be an edit.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	The Sound of L.A.
Cat No:	None
Date:	21/01/2022
Key/BPM:	10A/94
Value:	£1

Eleanor Grant Feat. Clarence Burke Jr. [2022] - Come Back [Catawba Records]

Another quality 'proper' soul recording from Eleanor Grant who some may remember for her 70s/80s recording and who featured here last April with another class tune "The Love I Gave To You".

Her latest release, "Come Back", features Clarence Burke Jr. who of course is a member of the Burke family i.e. The Five Stairsteps who co-wrote the song with Gregg Fowler and is a cover of the song recorded in 1966 by The Five Stairsteps on Curtis Mayfield's Windy C label.

The release has three variants, a Pt 1, Pt 2 and instrumental and all three appeared on her 1988 album "Magic" as did "The Love I Gave You".

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Catawba Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	14/01/2022
Key/BPM:	4B/87
Value:	£1

Byrd Pressley [2022] - Feeling Your Love [Force MD's Distribution]

Byrd Pressley is from Pittsburgh, PA, and was formerly the lead singer of The New Century Platters who were an evolution of The Platters. He has been releasing music since the mid 80s. At one time he was managed by Cissy Houston (member of The Sweet Inspirations and mother of Whitney).

He has a new single out today (21 Jan 2022) "Feeling Your Love" produced by Rodney 'Khali' Lundi of the Force MD's.

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Force MD's Distribution
Cat No:	None
Date:	21/01/2022
Key/BPM:	12A/64
Value:	£1

Oya Noire [2022] - Atlanta [Quablab Productions]

Oya Noire is Haitian-American originally from Brooklyn, NYC, now living in L.A. She's released around eighteen singles, an EP and an album since 2017.

Her new single "Atlanta" is moody, edgy, neo soul, released yesterday (20 Jan 2022). 

Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist.

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	Y
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Quablab Productions
Cat No:	None
Date:	20/01/2022
Key/BPM:	10A/54
Value:	£1