Soul Strutter

Tuesday, 9 August 2022

Garnett Boldin [2022] - Improve v Kansas City Express [1975] - This Is The Place

Garnett Boldin from Richmond, VA, released his sophomore album "Find The Message" on 22 Jul 2022. He debuted in May 2016 with an album "Know Your Soul" and as far as I can tell has only released one single "Ode To Richmond" in 2020 (which is included on the album).

The album is full of contemporary/urban explicit tracks except the two interludes. The standout track is "Improve" which has had a few radio plays and I'm surprised no one has mentioned the sample used (apart from DJ Kool Keith who has it programmed for his next slow jams show). It's from Kansas City Express' only outing on American Artists from 1975 "This Is The Place". It has been reissued a couple of times on vinyl since in 2012 by Friends Of Sound (but going by a review commenting on the poor sound quality of the pressing it may be a misnomer!) and in 2019 on Athens Of The North imprint Oceans Of Tears.

They started out in 1964 as a 16-piece group named The Fabulous Elites. In 1972 they downsized to 7 members renaming themselves Kansas City Express which included three Bedell brothers Ernie, Larry and Joe. Their one and only single (written by Joe Bendell) was released in 1975 and they were later signed to Stax but in a cruel twist of fate the label went bankrupt within a few months. They disbanded in 1977 but Larry, at least, continues to perform to this day.

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

Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Sweet Soul
Format:	Album Track / Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released / American Artists
Cat No:	None / AAS-1136-45
Date:	22/07/2022 / 1975
Key/BPM:	N/A / 8A/74
Price:	£1 / £160-£500 (Discogs)

Thursday, 5 March 2020

A Brief Introduction To Lowriders

Since re-launching the blog we've had some up to date tunes, deep, Northern and beat ballads, so it's time explore what is now becoming more popular on the UK Sunday soul sessions taking our lead from our US cousins in L.A. Chicano/lowrider scene.

For the uninitiated: Chicano mainly because it is the Mexican (descent) community and lowrider relates to the fact that they cruise around in (lowered) vintage cars playing the 'oldies' from their cars. Essentially the 'oldies' are the slow deep, sweet and mellow side of soul which we in the UK have overlooked in our quest for 'dancers' whether it be four on the floor Northern stompers, R&B, Popcorn, modern dancers, two-steppers or crossover - the thrust has always been for soul you can dance to ... sadly quite often at the expense of soulfulness ... as long as it's got the right beat! Perhaps this is why this sound is becoming increasingly more popular to the 'soul connoisseurs', although to be fair, this music has been played in The Jim Wray Lounge at Soul Essence Yarmouth weekenders for the last 2 decades. Also, since the popularity of Sunday sessions, without the need to necessarily 'please' the dancefloor, DJ's are being a bit more adventurous.

Here's an article which has taken extracts from Wax Poetics #49 Latin Issue which had a feature called 'Bittersweet Harmony' dedicated to lowriders by Allen Thayer

As I understand it (more than happy for comments to correct/update me) the scene tends to be split between northern and southern California. In the south there's a group of DJ's who call themselves The Southern Soul Spinners who are Ruben Molina, Soulera 5051 (Arlene Sepulveda) & Josh Whittemore.

Kent released a compilation last year (Jan 2019) called This Is Lowrider Soul which is a great introduction if you're coming to this fresh. This was compiled by soul aficionados Sean Hampsey (UK) & Ruben Molina (US).

Here's a track from it that may highlight how the scenes 'crossover' (pun intended) as this has been played this side of the pond for years (coincidentally also on US Kent).

Four Tees [1970] - One More Chance [Kent]