The Staple Singers [2024] - Africa '80 (Live) [Omnivore Recordings] (Full Album)

A week today, the first two parts of the four part HBO Documentary "STAX: Soulsville U.S.A." will premiere. 

To whet your appetite Omnivore Recordings has restored and remastered (by Michael Graves)  "Staple Singers (Live)" (1983) under a new title "Africa '80 (Live)".

Their tour of Africa was sponsored by the U.S. Government. The album includes many of their biggest hits such as "Respect Yourself",  "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)", "Touch A Hand Make A Friend", "Let's Do It Again" along with a few singles e.g. "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" (Vee Jay 1960 B side) and "Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)" (Epic 1967).

Also included is a live version of "A House Is Not A Home" recorded by Mavis Staples as a single and album track on Volt in 1969.

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

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Classic Soul
Format:	Album / Live
Media:	Digital
Label:	Omnivore Recordings
Cat No:	None
Date:	10/05/2024
Price:	£8.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

BJ The Chicago Kid [2024] - Noochie's Live From The Front Porch Presents: BJ The Chicago Kid

One of our favourite songs of 2023 was an album track "Never Change" by BJ The Chicago Kid on his "Gravy" album (9 Nov '23) which featured Phillip Bailey (EWF). So it was a pleasant surprise to come across a live performance of it included on Noochie's Live From The Front Porch Presents: BJ The Chicago Kid along with four other songs:

Never Change 0:43

Church 4:57 (In My Mind 2016)

Smooth 7:00 (Three EP 2021)

Turnin’ Me Up 8:58 (In My Mind 2016)

Turn Your Lights Down Low (Bob Marley cover) 11:48

BJ has recently opened for Ledisi on her "The Good Life Tour" and is currently touring with "The Gravy Tour" (dates/tickets in link) promoting his "Gravy" album which kicked off in Washington D.C. where he recorded this performance.

BJ The Chicago Kid is 38 year old Brian James Sledge, not surprisingly from Chicago, who has been active since 2001 co-writing David Hollister's "For You". His vocals first appeared on Kanye West's "Impossible" in 2006 to promote the movie "Mission Impossible III". 

His debut solo album "Pineapple Now-Laters" didn't materialise until 2012 which won him a contract with Motown. He has subsequently released a further two albums, "On My Mind" in 2016 and "1123" in 2019, both on Motown and "Gravy" last year.

As Bailey doesn't actually appear on the live video, and because we love the song so much, we've included the official visualiser video for "Never Change".

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

Details

Rating:	N/A
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Live
Media:	Video
Label:	N/A
Cat No:	None
Date:	06/05/2024
Key/BPM:	N/A
Price:	£N/A

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Sy Smith [2024] - Photograph [Live From The Blue House]

The first leg of Sy Smith's "Until We Meet Again" tour comes to a close in L.A. on Saturday at The Miracle, Inglewood.

The second leg of the tour will continue in July at the brand new Missy Lane's Assembly Room, Durham for two nights on 19-20 July for 4 shows.

Then on to Little Rock, AK, as part of the A Work of Art Festival at the Ron Robinson Theater on 31 July. There's also a Dallas date to be announced soon.

Great news for the UK as Sy will be at London's Jazz Cafe on 1 Sep with tickets on sale now.

Sy has uploaded a live performance of "Photograph" at The Blue House to her YouTube channel.

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

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Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Sy Smith [2024] - Flowers [Live From The Blue House]

Sy Smith has now completed 11 shows in 5 cities, with 7 of them selling out. She moves on to Chicago on Sunday, the first of the next five city visits.  Full dates below and tickets (which are selling fast) available from HERE.

Last week she released a live video performance of the lead single "Slide" which she now follows with another track, "Flowers", from her highly acclaimed album "Until We Meet Again",  Live From The Blue House.

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Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Sy Smith [2024] - Slide [Live from the Blue House]

As you will already know if you've listened to radio shows in the last few weeks, Sy Smith's album "Until We Meet Again" (26 Jan) is one of the most played albums this year and will undoubtedly feature in many year end 'best of' lists..

She performed the lead single, "Slide" (13 Oct '23), live on 11 Feb from the Blue House, Kensington, MD, on the outskirts of her home/birth town Washington, D.C., where she is also performing the second of two live dates tonight at Blues Alley as part of her current 10 city tour.

It's her third city of the tour which continues in Philadelphia on Sunday, Full dates below and tickets (which are selling fast) available from HERE.

Both the single and album were produced by Zo! and Tall Black Guy and released on their The Foreign Exchange Music label. Zo! features on keyboards along with Biscuit Bynum (drums), Dennis Turner (bass), Precious Joubert and Keith Angelo on BGVs in the video below.

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

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

Click to enlarge

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Live Video
Media:	Digital
Label:	The Foreign Exchange Music
Cat No:	None
Date:	11/02/2024
Key/BPM:	3B/118
Price:	£N/A

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved