Sunday, 11 September 2022

The Dirty Dozen - The Best Of 2022... Part 36 (Sep 2022 Wk 36) Spotify Playlist

SoulStrutter selections of the best releases this week 
(Sep 2022 Wk 36)
In no particular order other than tempo. 

A bit of a disappointing week after last week's 'flood' after the 'drought'. I thought perhaps we'd turned the corner after the summer months' slump in the number of good quality releases.

After having great difficult limiting the playlists to a dozen last week, and ending up doing a part 1 & 2, this week I'm struggling to find twelve good 'uns for each category. The day has been saved by a couple of good albums being released from which more than one track has been selected.

When Lindsey Webster's latest album "Reasons" came through earlier in the week I thought it was going to be a no brainer for this week's  SoulStrutter Selection of the Week. However, the more I have listened to the new Ari Lennox album age/sex/location the more it has grown on me with at least six good new songs in addition to the three already released as singles. It may not be for traditionalists, but as far as neo soul/R&B goes it pretty good. So, given that Lindsey Webster is being heavily promoted in the UK and will therefore get plenty of airplay, I've decided to go with Ari Lennox.

The new H'Atina EP contains her recent hit "Be Mine", and there are another two great tracks on it. There are three great tracks on Zyah Bella's new album, two in this playlist and one in this week's Neo Soul Dirty Dozen.

Snoop Dogg released a new album last week which I didn't come across until Friday. It's a bit of a head scratcher as one of the tracks "Paid My Dues" is retitled from his 2011 album "Doggumentary" where it was called "Cold Game" so perhaps the other one selected ("Hotline") is also a retitled 'oldie' but not being an avid follower of Snoop Dogg I wouldn't really know. But as it's a lean week I've included them. As a matter of interest "Cold Game" / "Paid My Dues" samples Mandrill's "Gilly Hines" from their 1977 album "We Are One".
2022
,Pt 10, Pt 09, Pt 08, Pt 07, Pt 06, Pt 05, Pt 04, Pt 03, Pt 02, Pt 01  

2021

Playlist:
Lindsey Webster - Reasons (Reasons LP) [9 Sep]
Shannon Lauren Callihan - got you [19 Aug]
H'Atina - Elements of a Real Man (Elements of a Real Man EP) [9 Sep]
Zyah Belle - Love Me Now (Yam Grier LP) [9 Sep]
Zyah Belle - Ready Or Not (Yam Grier LP) [9 Sep]
H'Atina - Impossible (Elements of a Real Man EP) [9 Sep]
Snoop Dogg Feat. October London - Hotline (Metaverse: The NFT Drop, Vol. 2 LP) [3 Sep]
Kitt & Big Muff - My Funny Valentine (NerdStar Remix) [9 Sep]
Lindsey Webster - I'm OK (Reasons LP) [9 Sep]
Snoop Dogg - Paid My Dues (Metaverse: The NFT Drop, Vol. 2 LP) [3 Sep]
Fun Lovin' Criminals - Unfinished Business (The Roosevelt Sessions EP) [9 Sep]
Princess Freesia - Stop (Soulpersona 'Red Light' Remix) [9 Sep]
NB You must be logged on to Spotify to listen in full
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Donald Byrd [1975] - Places And Spaces [Blue Note #BN-LA549-G] (Full Album)


As I as putting together the Roy Ayers birthday profile playlist up pops Donald Byrd and "Dominoes", so I refreshed my memory on his "Places And Spaces" album from 1975. Is there a better jazz funk album?

As well as "Dominoes" it contains, of course, the title track "Places And Spaces" along with "Change (Makes You Want To Hustle)" (video below). There is also a cover of The Temptation's classic "Just My Imagination".
Most songs were written by the Mizell brothers Larry and Alphonso aka 'Fonce' who was a member of 'The Corporation' i.e. Motown's hit-making factory. They joined Byrd when Motown relocated to L.A. in 1972.

Details
Rating: 9
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Jazz Funk
Format: Single
Media: Digital
Label: Blue Note
Cat No: BN-LA549-G
Date: 1975
Price: £7.99
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Roy Ayers - A Profile


Roy Ayers celebrated his 82nd birthday yesterday. He was born in L.A. on 10 Sep 1940 to musical parents, his father played trombone and mother the piano.

He began his musical career in 1961 and released his first album "West Coast Vibes" in 1963 on United Artists. Later that year he featured on vibraphone on "The Jack Wilson Quartet" album and another in 1966 "Ramblin'" joining flutist Herbie Mann the same year. The first Jack Wilson Quarter album was released on Atlantic who must have seen something in him as he proceeded to release his next three albums on the label in 1967, 1968 and 1969 all produced by Herbie Mann. Some jazz heavyweights were on the sessions including Gary Bartz (sax), Ron Carter (bass), Grady Tate (drums).

Story has it that Ayers was taken to see jazz band leader and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton at the Paramount Theatre when was 5 years old and during the concert Hampton interacted with the crowd and handed him a pair of vibraphone mallets, and the rest is history!
In 1970 he signed with Polydor releasing "Ubiquity" under his own name but later formed six piece band Roy Ayers Ubiquity. He released around 9 studio albums and a live album as Roy Ayers Ubiquity between 1972-77 and around another 50 under his own name. By an standards that is phenomenal output, 60 albums in as many years since he debuted. Then  there are the multitude of albums he has featured on. His latest album was recorded in 2020 "Jazz Is Dead 2".

Ayers is regarded as a pioneer in both jazz-funk and also acid jazz. As a predominantly album artist he didn't trouble the charts too much with singles with none reaching the Billboard Hot 100 although he had a total of fifteen enter the R&B chart with six reaching the top 40. His two biggest records must be "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", which has legendary status amongst hip-hoppers having been heavily sampled, and of course his biggest chart success "Running Away" (#19 R&B)

"Running Away" was first sampled by Eastbound Expressway on "Never Let Go", a disco song contrived by Ian Levine with Fiachra Trench in 1978. The most well know sample of it is probably by A Tribe Called Quest in 1989 on "Description Of A Fool".

A lot of music to wade through, but here's a selection of 20 of his best!


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The Neo Dirty Dozen - The Best Of 2022... Part 26 Sep 2022 Wk 36 Spotify Playlist

The SoulStrutter selection of the best Neo Soul releases
for: Sep 2022 Wk 36 in no particular order.

The playlist is extended to 20 tracks this week, not that it was a particularly 'great' week but mainly because there are a few tracks from a couple of albums from Ari Lennox and Eva Lazarus so I rounded it up to 20.

A track that is really growing on me is "My Love" from Greentea Peng's sophomore album "GREENZONE 108". One I have loved since it appeared on her recent EP ("About The Time..." in May) is from Luton's Tsharna and "Curfew". This has been released for the third time of asking as it was a single last year and has just been released along with another song as a double single on Friday, so she believes in it, and rightly so.

The more I listen to the new Ari Lennox album the better it gets with, apart from the two singles on it,  at least six new good tracks. I 'suspect' it will be a future chart topper. I've gone with two of the more soulful songs "Leak It" and "Bye Boy" along with "POF".

Playlist:
Yazmin Lacey - Pieces [7 Sep]
Tsharna - Curfew [9 Sep]
Dahlia Lovee - Trust Me (Flex EP) [6 Sep]
Akira Ræ - Carry-on [7 Sep]
Ari Lennox Feat. Chloe - Leak It (age/sex/location LP) [9 Sep]
Ari Lennox Feat. Lucky Daye - Boy Bye (age/sex/location LP) [9 Sep]
a l l i e - Incognito [9 Sep]
Zyah Belle - Go (Yam Grier LP) [9 Sep]
dreamcastmoe & ZDBT - Much More [6 Sep]
Nenny Melodias - Have a good day (Have a good day EP) [2 Sep]
Ahmad Smith - Coconut Cherries (Life Of The Don LP) [3 Sep]
Jenevieve - CaNdY LiEs (Rendezvous EP) [9 Sep]
UHANI - Triggered [5 Sep]
Kara Tenae - Mirror (Faith Over Fear EP) [6 Sep]
Eva Lazarus - If You Ever Leave Your Girl (Brandy Kisses LP) [8 Sep]
Ari Lennox - POF (age/sex/location LP) [9 Sep]
Kara Tenae - Outside (Faith Over Fear EP) [6 Sep]
Eva Lazarus - Lioness (Brandy Kisses LP) [8 Sep]
Greentea Peng - My Love (GREENZONE 108 LP) [9 Sep]
Rudi Creswick Feat. MANNY - Peace of Mind [6 Sep]
NB You must be logged on to Spotify to listen in full
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The Dirty Dozen - The Best Of 2022... Covers, Reissues, Remixes & Samples Part 25 (Sep 2022 Wk 36)


SoulStrutter selections for Sep 2022 Wk 36 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).

Very few vintage reissues or cover versions this week with the majority of the playlist being retro style tunes.

Covers: The Womack Sisters (Sam Cooke), Deep3 (H-Town), 

Reissues: Snoop Dogg x2

2022

2021

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Bird and Byron [2022] - Hurts When You Cry [Valleywood Records]


Bird and Byron are blue-eyed, singer/songwriter duo Blake Bergere and Nicholas Lorenz from Columbus OH, but appear to be now based in Nashville, TN, The Music City.

They seem to have emerged in 2020 and now have a dozen singles under their belt. Their sound is very much in the retro blue-eyed sweet soul camp along with Durand Jones, Kelly Finnegan and the likes.

Click on image below for link to where you can buy from.
Click icons below for further information or to connect with the artist. 

FacebookInstagramAmazonApple musicSpotifyDeezerBandCampSoundCloudYouTube Channel
Details
Rating: 7.6
Explicit: N
Genre/Style: Retro Soul / Blue-Eyed
Format: Single
Media: Digital
Label: Valleywood Records
Cat No: None
Date: 09/09/2022
Key/BPM: 6A/88
Price: £1
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Roger Williams [2022-09-11] - The Soulsorts Podcast [Podcast #18] - 2000's Indie Soul Archive 50 #3


The third in the series of "2000's Indie Soul Archive 50"  by Roger Williams where he looks back and selects 50 of the tunes he played in the noughties when he first started his radio shows.

You can catch up with the first two here:
The podcast is available on Mixcloud and Podomatic where you can also download it to listen offline.

Playlist:
Lolita Chambers Lamkin feat. Micah Smith – Dancing In The Storm
Cristal Smith – Usher Me In
Nash Reed – Reaching Out
Shar White – Sensual
Gabbie McGee – Give It 2 Me
Zo! feat. Sy Smith – Greatest Weapon Of All Time
Smoke E. Digglera – Say U Really Luv Me, Baby
Angela Johnson – Be Myself
Jai Black – I Can't Help It
Jarrard Anthony & Amma Whatt – Something Like Love
Azaryah – Best Friend
DamonReel – Let The Music
Nate White feat. Razzberry & Inisha – Can't Do Without You
Erykah Badu – Umm Hmm
Full Blast Band – Viben
Jeanette Harris feat. Joel Bowers – Summer Rain
Nicci Canada – Selah
50Hz feat. Ladi6 & Xantone Blacq – Seek No More
The Joe Smith Project – Turn It Around
Kirk Whalum feat. Kim Fields – In a Whisper
The Love Project – Love
Lori Williams – In A Perfect World
Deedot – Think Twice
Melanie Covington – Back Into Me
Kabanya-Chemise – Consume Me
Amy Winehouse – Half Time
Coop D' Belle – Ride With Me
Alvin Frazier feat. Cassandra – Something to Remember
Aysha – Stay With Me
Michael Jenkins – Heaven Love
Robert Jon – This Ain't Love
Izzi Dunn – Nothing But Love
April Christina feat. Chris Lee – That Love
Onaje Allan Gumbs – Lucky Day
Wil Key – Beautiful
Muhammad Ayers – Mine Tonight
Frank Ocean – Sweet Life
Lois Davina  – Let Go
Chris Crain – So Cool
Bill Ortiz – Don't Make Me Wait
Farida Merville – Sophisticated Lady
Kat Webb – Keep On
Jennifer Freeman – Special My Love
G Claiborne – What's Going On
Lando – I Luv E'rythang About U
Cashyra – Great Day
Emem – Tryin to Be Myself
Teri Tobin – Free
LaMarsha Spann – Hold On
Mondo Grosso – Spirit Of Voyage

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