Donald Byrd & 125th Street N.Y.C. / Gerald Levert [2024] - Everyday / The Top Of My Head [Jai Alai #JAR #14]

The second Jai Alai release this month is an unlikely and perhaps unusual combination. 

The top side is "Everyday" from Donald Byrd's "Words, Sounds, Colors & Shaped' album from 1982 with 125th Street, N.Y.C. The album was produced and arranged by Isaac Hayes. 

For more info on Byrd we did a Donald Byrd Profile for what would have been his 90th birthday in Dec 2022.

The flip side is "The Top Of My Head" by Gerald Levert from his seventh solo album "G-Spot" in 2002. Tragically, Levert died of an accidental overdose of prescription and over-the counter drugs aged just 40 in 2006 but not without leaving a huge legacy of music with his brother Sean and Marc Gordon in Levert, eleven solo albums and three LSG albums as a member of supergroup Levert, (Keith) Sweat and (Johnny) Gill.

Available now from Soul4Real.

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

Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Jazz Funk / New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7" Vinyl
Label:	Jai Alai
Cat No:	JAR14
Date:	17/04/2024
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Gerald Levert [2023] - When It’s Right The Anthology (1991-2007) [SoulMusic Records #QSMCR5211T] (Compilation)

Back on 13 May we notified you of a forthcoming compilation from David Nathan's SoulMusic Records following recent compilations from Randy Crawford and Dionne Warwick. It is out today on CD and may be available digitally in the coming weeks/months like the others.

It's 3 CD box set anthology "When It’s Right The Anthology (1991-2007)" consisting of 45 tracks covering all nine of Gerald Levert's solo albums between 1991-2007 (three albums for EastWest America (1991-1998), four for Elektra (1999-2003) and two for Atlantic (2004-2007)). He released another two with his father Eddie. 

Before, and concurrent with, his solo career he was a member of Levert with brother Sean and Marc Gordon as well as part of the supergroup "LSG" (Levert, Keith Sweat & Johnny Gill). 

The anthology takes it's name from one of his rare tracks previously available only as a bonus track on the Japanese edition his sophomore album "Groove On" (1994).

A couple of other rarities are included: a cover of Rick James & Teena Marie's deep soul classic "Fire And Desire" feat. Sherena Wynn (a cassette only single) and two remixes "Can You Handle It" and "I Wanna Be Bad".

The boxset is available to order from Cherry Red now.

,

 

Track Listing

Disc 1

01 - Private Line

02 - School Me

03 - Baby Hold On To Me (with Eddie Levert)

04 - Groove On

05 - I’d Give Anything

06 - Answering Service

07 - Same Place,Same Time

08 - Love Street

09 - When It’s Right

10 - Thinkin’ Bout It

11 - That’s The Way I Feel About You (with Mary J Blige)

12 - Taking Everything

13 - Nothin’ To Somethin’

14 - Mr - Too Damn Good

Disc 2

01 - Baby U Are

02 - Spill A Little Love

03 - Let Me Know

04 - What Makes It Good To You (No Premature Lovin’)

05 - Made To Love Ya

06 - Dream With No Love

07 - Funny

08 - Closure

09 - Stroke Of Genius

10 - (They Long To Be) Close To You (with Tamia)

11 - U Got That Love (Call It A Night)

12 - Wear It Out

13 - Didn’t We

14 - Eyes And Ears (with Sean Levert & Eddie Levert)

15 - Crucify Me

16 - Everyday

Disc 3

01 - One Million Times

02 - Click A Glass

03 - In My Songs

04 - DJ Don’t

05 - Deep As It Goes

06 - Can It Stay

07 - Private Line (Radio Club Remix)

08 - Can You Handle It (Remix Edit)*

09 - I Wanna Be Bad (Remix Edit)*

10 - School Me (Full Live Version)

11 - Can’t Help Myself (Radio Remix)

12 - Answering Service (Heavy D Remix)

13 - Fire And Desire (ft - Sherena Wynn)*

14 - Taking Everything (Soap Opera Remix Extended)

15 - DJ Don’t (Remix ft Jaheim)

Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	CD
Label:	Cherry Red
Cat No:	QSMCR5211T
Date:	21/07/2023
Price:	£22.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Gerald Levert [2023] - When It’s Right The Anthology (1991-2007) [SoulMusic Records #QSMCR5211T] (Compilation)

Following recent compilations from Randy Crawford and Dionne Warwick, David Nathan's SoulMusic Records latest box set is "When It’s Right The Anthology (1991-2007)" which is a 3 CD anthology of 45 tracks covering all nine of Gerald Levert's solo albums between 1991-2007 (three albums for EastWest America (1991-1998), four for Elektra (1999-2003) and two for Atlantic (2004-2007)). He released another two with his father Eddie. 

Before, and concurrent with, his solo career he was a member of Levert with brother Sean and Marc Gordon as well as part of the supergroup "LSG" (Levert, Keith Sweat & Johnny Gill). 

The anthology takes it's name from one of his rare tracks previously available only as a bonus track on the Japanese edition his sophomore album "Groove On" (1994).

A couple of other rarities are included: a cover of Rick James & Teena Marie's deep soul classic "Fire And Desire" feat. Sherena Wynn (a cassette only single) and two remixes "Can You Handle It" and "I Wanna Be Bad".

The boxset is available to pre-order from Cherry Red now for release on 21 Jul '23.

,

 

Track Listing

Disc 1

01 - Private Line

02 - School Me

03 - Baby Hold On To Me (with Eddie Levert)

04 - Groove On

05 - I’d Give Anything

06 - Answering Service

07 - Same Place,Same Time

08 - Love Street

09 - When It’s Right

10 - Thinkin’ Bout It

11 - That’s The Way I Feel About You (with Mary J Blige)

12 - Taking Everything

13 - Nothin’ To Somethin’

14 - Mr - Too Damn Good

Disc 2

01 - Baby U Are

02 - Spill A Little Love

03 - Let Me Know

04 - What Makes It Good To You (No Premature Lovin’)

05 - Made To Love Ya

06 - Dream With No Love

07 - Funny

08 - Closure

09 - Stroke Of Genius

10 - (They Long To Be) Close To You (with Tamia)

11 - U Got That Love (Call It A Night)

12 - Wear It Out

13 - Didn’t We

14 - Eyes And Ears (with Sean Levert & Eddie Levert)

15 - Crucify Me

16 - Everyday

Disc 3

01 - One Million Times

02 - Click A Glass

03 - In My Songs

04 - DJ Don’t

05 - Deep As It Goes

06 - Can It Stay

07 - Private Line (Radio Club Remix)

08 - Can You Handle It (Remix Edit)*

09 - I Wanna Be Bad (Remix Edit)*

10 - School Me (Full Live Version)

11 - Can’t Help Myself (Radio Remix)

12 - Answering Service (Heavy D Remix)

13 - Fire And Desire (ft - Sherena Wynn)*

14 - Taking Everything (Soap Opera Remix Extended)

15 - DJ Don’t (Remix ft Jaheim)

Details

Rating:	8.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Album / Compilation
Media:	CD
Label:	Cherry Red
Cat No:	QSMCR5211T
Date:	21/07/2023
Price:	£22.99

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Gerald Levert [2000] - Baby U Are [EastWest #67066-2]

As far as I'm concerned this is Gerald Levert's best track. From the 1999 album 'G' and released as a single in 2000.  It scraped into the Hot 100 and peaked at #89.

He died of an accidental drugs overdose (prescribed and over-the-counter) in Nov 2006. He was son on O'Jay Eddie Levert who tragically also lost his other son Sean due to complications of sarcoidosis only six days into a 22 month prison sentence for failing to pay child support in Mar 2008.

They formed the group Levert with Marc Gordon in 1983 and had twelve US R&B top 10 singles, five of them reaching #1.

Details

Rating:	9.5
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	12"/CDs
Label:	EastWest
Cat No:	67066-2
Year:	2000
Key:	11A
BPM:	86
Value:	£1