Soul Strutter: 04/17/24

Wednesday, 17 April 2024

Jalen Ngonda [2024] - Here To Stay [Colemine Records] PLUS Full Performance (Live on KEXP)

Rising UK based retro soul singer, Jalen Ngonda, is currently on a European tour and was due to start the UK leg this week commencing in Brighton on Monday. However, he has had to postpone all UK shows owing to illness. Tickets will be valid for rescheduled dates.

On 5 Apr an unreleased song, "Here To Stay", from the "Come Around And Love Me" sessions was released digitally and is available on vinyl with "If You Don't Want My Love".

Included below is a live recording of Ngonda at KEXP studio from 6 Oct 2023 consisting of four songs from his debut album: "Just Like You Used To", "It Takes A Fool", "So Glad I Found You" and "Come Around And Love Me"

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

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

Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Daptone Records
Cat No:	DAP-154
Date:	05/04/2024
Key/BPM:	3A/91
Price:	£1

Willie Hutch [2024] - Ode To My Lady [Motown] (Full Album)

Following the digital reissue of two 1976 Willie Hutch albums a few weeks ago ("Concert In Blues" and "Color Her Sunshine") Motown/Universal reissue another gem, "Ode To My Lady", from 1975. It was first reissued on CD by London's Soul Brother Records in 2011 but we believe this is the first digital release of the album.

Only two singles materialised from the album with "Love Power" being his highest charting single reaching #41 Hot 100 and #8 R&B (his only solo top 10 career hit) and the other, "Party Down", containing his modern soul gem, "Just Another Day", on the B side.

Apart from "Just Another Day", the real diamond on the album is hands down the best performance of a classic song "The Way We Were" made famous by Barbara Streisand in 1974 (via title track of the movie she starred in with Robert Redford) and then Gladys Knight & The Pips. Many others such as Freda Payne, The Dells, The Manhattans, 21st Century and so many more have all covered the song faithfully in the MOR style but Hutch's version ups the tempo and changes the arrangement and is sung in his distinctive soulful style. A SS favourite for far too many years to remember and, if it's a new one on you then, you're in for a real treat.

Other highlights (and there are several) include the powerful deep soul ballad "Since I Found You", the mid-tempo "Talk To Me" (B side to "Love Power") and "(I'm Gonna) Hold On", a superb modern soul dancer that we don't recall ever hearing 'played out' but no doubt someone will tell us that Jack The Lad played it in the back room at Itchy Bottom Working Man's Club in 1977! The instrumental title track is no slouch either and very much in his earlier Blaxploitation movie theme mode of Foxy Brown and The Mack!

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

Details

Rating:	9
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Modern Soul
Format:	Album / Reissue
Media:	Digital
Label:	Motown/Universal
Cat No:	None
Date:	13/04/2024
Price:	£9.90

Kait Dunton feat. Jake Reed [2024] - Be Thankful for What You Got [Self Released]

We have to confess that there was a slight roll of the eyes when we first encountered this latest (and yet another) cover of William DeVaughn's evergreen by Kait Dunton (vocals and keys) and Jake Reed (drums).

However, we just had to give it a listen and we're so glad we did as this is a completely new take. It's contemporary, jazzy and far more laid back, stripping the tempo back to 78 BPM from the original 107.

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

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soul Jazz / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	08/04/2024
Key/BPM:	10B/78
Price:	£1

Nigel Hall & DJ Harrison [2024] - Happy Feelin' [Regime Music Group]

The second single from a forthcoming album of EWF covers, "The Burning Bush: A Journey Through the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire", by Nigel Hall & DJ Harrison (due on 10 May) is "Happy Feelin'".

The song is from "That's The Way Of The World" (1975) and was only released as a promo single as the flipside to "Reason" in the states but was released as the B side to "Shining Star (Live Version)" in the UK and got exposure on Northern Soul dancefloors on release in 1976.

Nigel Hall should need no introduction as he's a member (vocalist/keyboardist) of funk band Lettuce.

DJ Harrison from Richmond, VA, is an active member of Butcher Brown.

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

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Regime Music Group
Cat No:	None
Date:	12/04/2024
Key/BPM:	3B/139
Price:	£1

The Peterson Brothers [2024] - Experience [Self Released] (Full Album)

Brothers Glenn Jr and Alex Peterson from Austin, Texas, have been preforming together as The Peterson Brothers for a decade.

They've just self-released their fourth project, "Experience", which consists of seven original compositions along with a cover of The Spinners' "I'll Be Around".

Our choices from it include the last single "Family" along with "Take Your Time" and the closing instrumental "Shine".

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

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

Details

Rating:	7.9
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	12/04/2024
Price:	£7.92