Soul Strutter: 06/28/22

Tuesday, 28 June 2022

The Dirty Dozen - The Best Of 2022... Part 25 (Jun 2022 Wk 25) Spotify Playlist

SoulStrutter selections of the best releases this week

(Jun 2022 Wk 25)

In no particular order other than tempo.

A lot of the tracks this week will look/sound familiar as a batch of tracks that have been around a week or two via promo and/or Bandcamp were officially released so have only this week become available on Spotify.

It was quite a lean weak across the board for good quality new releases, but then I was half expecting it after last weeks bumper batch, and if it hadn't been for the official releases of four or five tracks, that are by now pretty familiar, (i.e. Marc Staggers, Shirley Jones, Output/Input, Crutchfield Jones, Julian Jonah and technically Dennis Taylor is a remix) it would have been a challenge selecting twelve great tracks.

This week's SoulStrutter Selection of the Week was quite an easy one again, although only posted yesterday, it was released on 17 Jun so I decided to go for it rather than wait a week when it would then be over two weeks since release. It's the new album from Snoop Dogg "Snoop Dogg Presents Death Row 2022". Yes there are a lot of hip-hop tracks but another eight good soul tracks. I think the track that may receive most prominence is "Mulholland Drive" and the album includes one of last year's killer cuts he recorded with Stokley "Jeopardy:Verbalize" (the album title has been shortened to "Verbalize"), but, as said, there are another six or seven non hip-hop tracks to choose from. It was a choice between that and the new JKABEL album "Rhythm & Bible" but if felt that the Snoop Dogg album possibly had wider appeal.

2022

Pt 21, Pt 22, Pt 23, Pt 24

Pt 20, Pt 19, Pt 18, Pt 17, Pt 16, Pt 15, Pt 14, Pt 13, Pt 12, Pt 11

,Pt 10, Pt 09, Pt 08, Pt 07, Pt 06, Pt 05, Pt 04, Pt 03, Pt 02, Pt 01

2021

Pt 46, Pt 45, Pt 44, Pt 43, Pt 42, Pt 41

Pt 40, Pt 39, Pt 38, Pt 37, Pt 36, Pt 35, Pt 34, Pt 33, Pt 32, Pt 31

Pt 30, Pt 29, Pt 28, Pt 27, Pt 26, Pt 25, Pt 24, Pt 23, Pt 22, Pt 21,

Pt 20, Pt 19, Pt 18, Pt 17, Pt 16, Pt 15, Pt 14, Pt 13, Pt 12, Pt 11,

Pt 10, Pt 9,Pt 8, Pt 7, Pt 6, Pt 5, Pt 4, Pt 3, Pt 2, Pt 1

Playlist:

Micayla Rivera - His Eyes Are Not Yours (21 Jun)

Marc Staggers Feat. Brian Cunningham - You Make Me Feel (Smooth Jazz Version) (24 Jun)

The Bar-Kays Feat. Jazze Pha - Choosey Lover (24 Jun)

Todd Breed Feat. Kevin Soul - Be With You (24 Jun)

Funk Division - Symptoms of Love (21 Jun)

Arrisa - Always On My Mind (19 Jun)

Shirley Jones - Soul Steppin' (Soul Syndicate Remix) (24 Jun)

Dennis Taylor - Smile (Drizabone Remix) (24 Jun)

Crutchfield Jones - Queen Appeal (17 Jun)

Output / Input Feat. Antonio Mclendon - I'm In Love (24 Jun)

Julian Jonah Feat. Tamika - Now's the Time for Us (24 Jun)

Cool Million Feat. Heather Haywood - Moonlit Rendezvous (Radio Version) (24 Jun)

NB You must be logged on to Spotify to listen in full

The Neo Dirty Dozen - The Best Of 2022... Part 15 Jun 2022 Wk 25 Spotify Playlist

The SoulStrutter selection of the best Neo Soul releases

for: Jun 2022 Wk 25 in no particular order.

This week's neo soul selections. After a bit of a bumper week last week, it was slim pickings in this department this week so I had to move a few from the main playlist so some may not be really regarded as neo soul e.g. JKABEL.

My clear favourite this week is I.R.I.S along with Rose Gold once I found a clean version of it which seemed to materialise a few days after release.

Playlist:

Jaz Karis - OPTION (24 Jun)

LINDSJØRN - Step By Step (17 Jun)

I.R.I.S - Weshside (23 Jun)

Rose Gold - Addicted (23 Jun)

Naoimi Sounds - Your Love (24 Jun)

Milan Jackson - High Talk (17 Jun)

Laneshia - Summer Come (19 Jun)

Jkabel - Believe (22 Jun)

THEHONESTGUY - Fight The Feeling (21 Jun)

Ms Jaey - Be My Baby (24 Jun)

Jkabel - New Friends (22 Jun)

Nia Wyn - Do You Want to Know Me (23 Jun)

2022

Pt 10, Pt 11, Pt 12, Pt 13, Pt 14

Pt 01, Pt 02, Pt 03, Pt 04, Pt 05, Pt 06, Pt 07, Pt 08, Pt 09

NB You must be logged on to Spotify to listen in full

The Dirty Dozen - The Best Of 2022... Covers, Reissues, Remixes & Samples Part 14 (Jun 2022 Wk 25)

SoulStrutter selections for Jun 2022 Wk 25 of the best non-original songs i.e. cover versions, remixes, reissues, previously unreleased and new songs using samples or new releases with a retro feel. (In no particular order).

Reissues: Tower Of Power, Ike Noble & The Uptights x2, Arthur Ponder x4

Covers: Bill Albright (Billy Stewart), Output/Input (EWF)

Remixes: Temptations (slenderbodies)

Retro: Mycayla Rivera, Harlem Gospel Travellers

2022

Pt 11, Pt 12, Pt 13

Pt 01, Pt 02, Pt 03, Pt 04, Pt 05, Pt 06, Pt 07. Pt 08, Pt 09, Pt 10

2021

Pt 38, Pt 37, Pt 36, Pt 35, Pt 34, Pt 33, Pt 32, Pt 31

Pt 30, Pt 29, Pt 28, Pt 27, Pt 26, Pt 25, Pt 24, Pt 23, Pt 22, Pt 21

Pt 20, Pt 19, Pt 18, Pt 17, Pt 16, Pt 15, Pt 14, Pt 13, Pt 12, Pt 11,

Pt 10, Pt 9, Pt 8, Pt 7, Pt 6, Pt 5, Pt 4, Pt 3, Pt 2, Pt 1

NB You need to be logged on to Spotify to listen in full

Tony Hightower [2022] - Legacy [Hightower Legacy Records] (Full Album)

Tony Hightower is a singer and actor from Atlanta, GA, and is the son of jazz singer Theresa Hightower. He released a debut album "Messiah's Galore" as Tony Hightower & The Trapped Tigers in 1997 and has released his third album "Legacy" on Friday (24 Jun 2022).

You may recall that he did a cover of "Can't Hide Love" last November which is included as the opening track on the album. The song is also currently doing the rounds again by Output / Input as a double-sider with "I'm In Love".

The album is a mix of original songs and covers. The covers include "Can't Hide Love", Al Green's "Love And Happiness", and jazz standard "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You" (probably best known by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong 1957) and "Here's To Life" (Shirley Horn).

I think my choices would be "All To The Good" and "Need You" from the originals along with "Can't Hide Love" and his very classy performance of "Here's To Life" (which for some reason reminds me a little of Bernard Ighner's "Everything Must Change") from the covers.

A couple of versions of "Everything Must Change" have been posted over the years including a live version by Phil Perry and more recently on Robert Johnson's album "So the Story Goes".

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Jazz
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Hightower Legacy Records / Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	24/06/2022
Price:	£7.99

R.I.P. Ken Williams (13-01-1939 - 17-06-2022 )

News is only just filtering through of the death of singer/songwriter Ken Williams (Kenneth Waymon Williams) on 17 Jun 2022 aged 83.

His name has been mentioned many times on this blog over the years as he had a hand in the writing and arranging so many soul gems over the years. He is best loved on the Northern Soul scene for his Okeh classic "Come Back" recorded in 1968 and just to clarify he is not the same singer who sang "(You're Fabulous) Babe" which was used on the Faberge perfume commercial in 1977.

Other songs he is associated with, some of which have become Northern Soul anthems, include The Superiors (who he was a member of) "What Would I Do", Holly Maxwell "Only When You're Lonely" (also recorded by The Royalettes), The Spellbinder's 'Help Me (Get Myself Back Together Again)' (Columbia 1966). Toni Lamarr 'It's Too Late' (Buddah 1967), Peaches & Herb 'Me And You' (Date 1967), Sandra Phillips classic 'Hoping You'll Come Back' (OKeh 1968), Bobby Treetop 'Wait Till I Get To Know Ya' (Tuff 1967), The Fundamentals 'Let Me Show It To You' (OKeh 1967), Total Eclipes 'You Took Our Heart (That Was Torn To Pieces)' (Right On 1970).

Perhaps in the mainstream he is better known for writing The Main Ingredient's biggest hit "Everybody Plays The Fool" from 1972 and also wrote "Let Me Prove My Love For You" for them in 1976 sampled by Alicia Keys in 2003 for her "You Don't Know My Name" for which she, and therefore he, won a Grammy.

He often worked with Van McCoy and partnered J.R. Bailey on many songwriting projects including "Love Love Love" recorded by Bailey in 1972 and later by Donny Hathaway in 1973.

His songs have been recorded by Teddy Pendergrass, Four Tops, BT Express, Millie Jackson & Isaac Hayes, Ben E. King, Joe Simon, Peaches & Herb, Carolyn Franklin, Ace Spectrum and many others including Tom Jones!

As a tribute here's a clip of him re-recording his Northern Soul monster with Ian Levine followed by the original version along with a playlist of some of the songs he was involved in writing (that I can find on Spotify).

Ralf GUM meets Tortured Soul [2022] - Maybe More [GOGO Music]

Something a little different for a change as dance music in general doesn't get that much of a look in here.

Ralf GUM (aka Ralf Benkert) is a German house DJ and producer now base in Pretoria, South Africa who has been active since 1990.

His latest single "Maybe More" was released on 3 Jun 2022 and comes with the obligatory short, long and instrumental versions. I'm not quite sure why the 'meets Tortured Soul' reference but gather that the song was written with one of the Brooklyn trio's members, John-Christian Urich (pictured on right in photo), and perhaps the others are also playing on the track?

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soulful House
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	GOGO Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/01/2022
Key/BPM:	6A/124
Price:	£1.79

Sugarcoated Finger [2022] - For This One [Big Circus Button Productions]

This third single, "For This One", by Sugarcoated Finger, released yesterday (27 Jun 2022), is one you can't quite put your 'finger' on. It's contemporary, yet has a bit of a (60s/70s?) throwback feel to it.

Writing credits are to Maureen Anderson so whether she is Sugarcoated Finger or not I'm not sure but it would be a good guess, especially as the email address on her facebook more or less confirms it. Further detective work reveals that she is from Little Rock, AK.

She also goes by the name Maureen Tothemax and has a YouTube channel under that name with videos going back four years.

Her last two singles, both released last year, are sister funk jams with some spoken word.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Big Circus Button Productions
Cat No:	None
Date:	27/06/2022
Key/BPM:	8B/78
Price:	£1

Phillip Levi [2022] - Come With Me [The Villa Records]

The title of Chloe Bodur's new single (just posted) "Come With Me" reminded me that I came across this cover version of Tania Maria (recently reissued on vinyl by Soul Brother) on Saturday (25 Jun 2022) by Phillip Levi which I'd forgotten about.

Certainly not one for the purists as it sounds very synthesised but I'll put it up out of intrigue/interest more than anything else.

Phillip Levi is 57 and comes from Berkley, CA, and this is his third single, he released his first two last year. From listening to the first two I would guess that he''s a saxophonist although there doesn't appear to be a sax present in this track it is prominent in his other two releases.

I had to chuckle when I read the writers credits as it's himself, Tommy George Campbell and Teena Marie (i.e. not Tania Maria!)

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Details

Rating:	7.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Latin Jazz
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	The Villa Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	25/06/2022
Key/BPM:	9A/95
Price:	£1

Bill Ortiz [2022] - Points Of View [Self Released] (Full Album)

The new album from Bill Ortiz is "Points Of View" and includes a cover of the great Rance Allen "Ain't No Need Of Crying (When It's Raining)" written by David Porter. It seemed churlish not to check out the whole album and it's a very nice album if you like your contemporary jazz/fusion.

The remainder of the album is predominantly jazz instrumentals written by some jazz greats including "Sunburst" Eddie Henderson, "Ain't Gon Change A Thang" Wilton Felder (Crusaders), "In Search Of Truth" Lonnie Liston Smith and "A Toast To The People" Brian Jackson & Gil Scott-Heron.

Bill Ortiz was a trumpeter with Santana for around sixteen years and has played with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, to name but a few, and "Points Of View" is his third solo album.

For me, at least, the choice cuts are the vocal tracks "Ain't No Need in Crying", which has a bit of a Latin twist, and "A Toast To The People" both of which feature Terrie Odabi who is a new name to me but has released two solo albums, "Evolution Of The Blues (2013) and "My Blue Soul" (2016) which I will be surely checking out based on her performances on this album.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Jazz
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	17/06/2022
Price:	£7.99