Soul Strutter: 02/29/24

Thursday, 29 February 2024

Taija Kerr [2024] - SURRENDER [Peace Love Aloha / XCVI Recordings] (Full Album)

Taija Kerr is an Afro-Hawaiian born in San Antonio, TX, now living in New York city. She released a debut album "7" on 7 Nov 2021. Since then she's released around six singles and six track EP "Ask For Love".

Her sophomore album "SURRENDER" was released on 24 Feb. which is a strong set for lovers of the neo soul sound with "happi" and "nothin'" standing out for us on our first listen.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Peace Love Aloha / XCVI Recordings
Cat No:	None
Date:	24/02/2024
Price:	£7.99

The New Groove [2024] - Midnight Arcadia [JetLag Entertainment] (Full Album)

Atlanta based trio The New Groove, consisting of Patrick Parks (aka DJ OloGi), Rebecca Stewart (aka Rravvii) and Nicolas Swain (aka KeepitSwain), released their debut album, "Midnight Arcadia" in Jul 2020. It would seem that is was only available via Bandcamp and has now been released more widely on the main DSPs on 22 Feb.

Since the album's initial release they have released a further three singles, one being a Christmas Single in 2021, which are not included on the album.

It's a different kind of album combining new and old school and rap. Our favourite tracks are "Summer Exposure", "Love Song" which has hints of Luther's "Never Too Much" in parts (around 40 secs) along with "That Summ" and "B Side".

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	Y
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	JetLag Entertainment
Cat No:	None
Date:	22/02/2024 (31/07/2020)
Price:	£7.99

Rai Maia [2024] - Coffee (Dark Roast Cut) [SunnyDaze Recording]

After five singles since 2019 Rai Maia has released her first EP, albeit consisting of five different mixes of "Coffee".

We've selected the Dark Roast Cut as others include an acapella, instrumental and, what seems to be the current vogue, slowed down and sped up versions, although the sped up version is not bad. The intro seems rather unnecessary but, once you get past it, it's a pleasant neo soul song.

When Rai Maia Ahmed-Green launched her career in Sep 2019 she went by the name Big Rai and then simply Rai and now also uses her middle name.

Raised in Irvine, CA, she studied for an MFA in Creative Writing at Saint Mary’s College of California and now lives in Phuket, Thailand, although the video for the song below was recorded recently in Oakland, CA.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	SunnyDaze Recording
Cat No:	None
Date:	28/02/2024
Key/BPM:	2A/66
Price:	£1

Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth [2024] - Lady Day And John Coltrane [Acid Jazz]

Billy Valentine continues with cover songs following his last album "Billy Valentine & The Universal Truth" last Feb.

He pairs two of Gil Scott-Heron's best loved modern soul gems "Lady Day And John Coltrane" with an edit of "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" (which appeared on the album) for his latest single which hits the main DSPs tomorrow but has been released today on Acid Jazz's Bandcamp store.

It will also be available on 7" vinyl from 14 April.

Both songs featured on Scott-Heron's "The Pieces Of A Man" in 1971 on Flying Dutchman who joint released Valentine's album last year with Acid Jazz.

UPDATE: 1 Mar '24: Now available on the main DSPs e.g. Amazon

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Acid Jazz
Cat No:	None
Date:	01/03/2024 / 14/04/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£3.50 / £12

Little Tommy [2024] - Baby Can't You See [Sound Of Soul]

A hugely in-demand record on the Northern Soul scene, which commands over four figures if you manage to track one, down as only one has ever sold on Discogs but there are plenty of sales listed on Popsike, has been reissued digitally today.

The song in question is "Baby Can't You See", the B side of Little Tommy's second, and last, release on August Moon's (aka Alexander Randolph) Richmond, VA, based Sound Of Soul label in 1965.

The song also featured on the "Free Angela" compilation released by Golden Triangle in 1971. The compilation was produced by Moon under another alias, Dickie Diamond, along with Larry Saunders (the estranged father of Ledisi) and was released to raise money for political activist Angela Davis' legal defence.

Little Tommy is William Tyrone Thomas, also from Richmond, VA, who later recorded a self-titled album, and two singles from it, as Wolfmoon on Fungus in the early 70s produced by Jerry Williams Jr. aka Swamp Dogg. We've always had a bit of a soft spot for "God Bless" which was written by Jerry Williams Jr.

He then went on to become the band leader of another Richmond, VA, group, The Whole Darn Family, who recorded an album and four singles all on Moon's Sound International label in 1976. The group released a version of his first single, a deep soul song, "I'm Hurt" as a flip side on two of the singles. The group also recorded a 12" instrumental, "Seven Minutes Of Funk", which has been sampled by many (no fewer than 50+) hip-hop artists including Grandmaster Flash on "Superappin'". More recently by Busta Rhymes on "Luxury Life" on "Blockbusta" in Nov last year.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul
Format:	Single / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Sound Of Soul
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/02/2024
Key/BPM:	7A/129
Price:	£1

Steve Aggasild [2024-02-27] - SoulAndJazzFlavas [Panacea Radio]

Steve Aggasild's latest radio show (in conjunction with SoulStrutter) on Tuesday 27th Feb 2024 on Panacea Radio featuring 2 hours of brand new releases.

Steve does a show Panacea Radio between 20:00-22:00 (GMT) each Tuesday and Fri 21:00-23:00 (GMT) on Soul Music Radio.

Catch up with other SoulAndJazzFlavas podcasts on Podbean

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