Soul Strutter: 05/26/23

Friday, 26 May 2023

VA [2023] - Northern Soul: Wigan Casino Oldies, Vol. 1 [Cazio Music]

A Japanese digital compilation "Northern Soul: Wigan Casino Oldies, Vol. 1" which may have been out before as the cover image looks familiar and also Spotify is giving a date of 2019.

Some obvious and some less obvious Northern Soul tunes. Worth the price for James Phelps (which, if we are correct, may be the first time available digitally?) and Shirley Wahls, but not a bad compilation as not full of run of the mill, tried and tested, tunes.

However, the Wigan Casino tag is a bit 'dubious' as we're not convinced all of these were played at Wigan, (as Dena Barnes for sure was played at first for the flip side "If You Ever Walk Out Of My Life" and wasn't flipped for "Who Am I" until later) but a marketing ploy for the uninitiated because, of course, Northern Soul began and ended at the Casino didn't it?

Eleven tracks is a bit of an odd and low number for a compilation but there you have it, but as it states Vol 1 perhaps further volumes are still to come?.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Cazio Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/05/2023
Price:	£8.99

Natalie Duncan [2023] - Are You Getting Enough [Fallen Tree1Hundred]

We always look forward to receiving new music from Natalie Duncan (and the Fallen Tree 1Hundred label for that matter) as she/they always delivers.

Her new offering is "Are You Getting Enough" (which I think we have just answered) along with The Degrees Remix (vocal and instrumental).

The Degrees, of course, are label mates Charlie Bierman and Isha Campbell, who add some contemporary beats to the main mix.

Natalie last graced these pages with her last single "Silver Gun" in Feb.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Fallen Tree1Hundred
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/05/2023
Key/BPM:	7A/93
Price:	£1

NNAVY [2023] - No Promises [Self Released] (Full EP)

NNAVY (real name Florine Gashaza) is originally from Burundi (East Africa) and now lives in Lausanne, Switzerland. She has now released around eight singles, an EP ("in good company") and an album "Blue", all since 2020.

Today, she has released her second EP "No Promises". The six tracks contains her last two singles, her latest, "Trash" from the end of April which featured Ben L'Oncle Soul and "Come And Get It" from the end of March.

From the new songs, our picks are two mellow tunes "So Much" and "Limits Of Physics".

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/05/2023
Price:	£5.94

Johnny Britt feat. Gerald Albright & Kashan [2023] - Summer Love [J-JAMS Records]

One of the standout tracks from Johnny Britt's recent album "After We Play" (Mar '23) gets a release as a single today. "Summer Love" features seasoned saxophonist Gerald Albright and the vocals of Kashan with Britt, of course, on trumpet.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Jazz
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	J-JAMS Records / Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/05/2023
Key/BPM:	4A/100
Price:	£1

Jacci McGhee [2023] - Jacci McGhee [Geffen]

Jacci McGhee's 1992, and only, self-titled album from 1992 was reissued on CD in Mar '23 and has appeared on digital platforms today as an extended edition with an addition seven tracks (mainly remixes of other songs).

We're not sure of the significance of reissuing it now but it's a mix of new jack swing, which now sounds dated, interspersed with some good ballads such as a cover of Flack & Hathaway's "The Closer I Get To You", "It Hurts Me" (a #36 R&B hit) and "Denied".

She charted with just one other solo single "Skeeza" (#67) and prior to that in 1988 on a duet with Keith Sweat "Make Love Last Forever" that made it to #2 R&B and #59 Hot 100.

The album is available today on digital platforms and is available on DC vinyl and cassette .. for £46 almost double the price of vinyl ... surely the worst medium of all as had far too many bad experiences of tapes getting 'chewed up'!

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Jack Swing
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Geffen / UMG
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/05/2023
Price:	£10.29