Joe Leavy Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://joeleavy.com/product/standard-soul-on-fire-full-album/ Joe Leavy - Soul On Fire Soul man Joe Leavy has been generous in sharing tracks from his latest album, Soul On Fire, with the music listening public. Four tunes from the album, “Inside You,” “Love Me To My Soul,” “Let It Go” and “Do It Again,” received First Listen coverage and been on our Fresh Soul Spotify playlist. The quality of those records led us to wonder how good are the tracks that Leavy held back until the album’s release. The short answer is that they’re pretty darn ..read more

Acantha Lang Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://amzn.to/46xQfQ4 Acantha Lang - Beautiful Dreams Acantha Lang’s journey took her from the Crescent City of New Orleans to London, where she crafted a career that allows her to thrive as an unabashed soul singer. She’s earned raves on both sides of the Atlantic along the way for her work as a soloist and a songwriter for other artists. Lang’s early singles, which include “He Said, She Said” and “Lois Lang” (an homage to her mother), garnered awards and recognition from SoulTracks, and those two tunes can be heard on Lang’s fir ..read more

Kool & the Gang Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://amzn.to/3U7cSo5 Kool & The Gang - The Albums Vol 2: 1979-1989 (Box Set) As acknowledged in the introductory notes to Edsel’s first Kool & The Gang box set released earlier this year (The Albums Vol. 1: 1970-1978), there are two solidly distinct chapters in the band’s rise to fame through the ’70s and ‘80s. It’s quite likely that casual listeners familiar with both early hits such as “Jungle Boogie,” “Open Sesame,” and “Hollywood Swinging” and later chart-toppers ranging from “Celebration” to “Joanna,” “Cherish,” an ..read more

Howard Hewett Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://amzn.to/3Sg1Njx Howard Hewett - I’m For Real: The Elektra Recordings (1986-1992) (Advance Review) Howard Hewett’s path to recognition as an exceptional soul singer was not a straightforward one. Although he played in several R&B bands before being signed to a label, it was the last-minute invitation to join Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel of Shalamar in 1978 that brought him his first—and very impactful—widespread visibility. Following the sudden departure of lead male vocalist Gerald Brown, Hewett began ap ..read more

Swing Out Sister Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://amzn.to/3Kzq3dq Swing Out Sister - Blue Mood, Breakout & Beyond (Box Set) When Swing Out Sister’s “Breakout” became a worldwide hit in 1987, it was as much of a surprise to the group members as to many pop-radio listeners who weren’t used to such prominent layers of soul and jazz interwoven with their top-40 doses. The celebratory tune of self-affirmation was, indeed, considerably more pronounced in its fusion of styles than its predecessor, 1985’s “Blue Mood.” … Swing Out Sister - Blue Mood, Breakout & Beyond (Box ..read more

George Duke Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://www.amazon.com/No-Rhyme-Reason-Elektra-1985-2000/dp/B09XQWQTG3?crid=2URMLCY8XUNFU&keywords=george+duke+No+Rhyme%2C+No+Reason&qid=1660494294&sprefix=george+duke+no+rhyme%2C+no+reason%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-4&linkCode=ll1&tag=soultracks-20&linkId=7b32b9f1 George Duke: No Rhyme, No Reason: The Elektra /Warner Years (1985-2000) is a three CD compilation that reviews the period in the fusion and funk master’s career that was typically prolific but not as rewarding in terms of the popular success the keyboardist, p ..read more

Avery Sunshine Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://amzn.to/3QqGLgz Avery Sunshine - Four Song & A Bootleg It’s stating the obvious to say that Avery*Sunshine is a relationship singer, but I’m not trying to uncover some deep mystery. On Four Songs & a Bootleg, her latest album, the relationships that she has with the love of her life, her God, with the constant struggle to remain motivated, and with her adopted hometown of Atlanta – just to name a few - serve as the connective tissue that bind what could have been a disjointed album together. … Avery Sunshine - Four So ..read more

Book Review Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://amzn.to/3HbWHQy The Extraordinary Journey of Jason Miles – A Musical Biography (2022) Jason Miles can accurately be described as your favorite musician’s favorite musician because, to paraphrase a certain action hero, he possesses a certain set of skills that have made him indispensable to artists as diverse as Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Jane Fonda and Vanessa Williams. Miles is a pianist, keyboard and synthesizer programming wizard and producer, just to name a few of his talents. Just how indispensable is Jason Miles? Well, hi ..read more

Chris Jasper Chris Jasper – Raise the Bar Faith, family and community uplift have been recurring themes in the life and music of Chris Jasper in the nearly four decades since he emerged as a lead singer and solo artist, after years of being the creative force behind the sounds of the Isley Brothers and Isley Jasper Isley. Jasper returns to those themes in his latest project, the consistently solid album Raise the Bar. Jasper’s latest project will have an air of familiarity to Isley Brothers fans and to those who have followed his solo career across the 16 R&B and gospel albums he’s rele ..read more

Various Artists Click on CD cover to listen or purchase https://amzn.to/39nnVXu Various Artists - Dome 30 Years, Vol. 1 Dome Records has infiltrated the British soul market for three decades with a solid roster of home-grown talents and American R&B vocalists expanding their reach outside of the States. Giving wider distribution to independent releases by some who fall into the latter category (e.g. Gordon Chambers and Donnie), the label has also established the careers of original signings like Hil St Soul, Beverley Knight, and Richard Darbyshire. Additionally, Industry mainstays ..read more