Albums and singles of the year 2018

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Tracklist

Harold Wheeler Consort – Black Cream (Wants list 4 cd/lp)
Magnificents – I can Fly (Jack Ashford Just productions vol 2 cd)
Virgil Henry – You ain’t saying nothin new (Soul on the Realside vol 8 cd)
Bobby Dukes – Just to be with you (Eccentric soul -Saru label cd/lp)
Ruby Andrews – Just loving you (Black Ruby cd/lp)
Patti Jo – Stay away from me (45/soul on the realside vol 9 cd)
Skullsnaps – My hang up is you (Skullsnaps cd/lp)
Ashford & Simpson – Have you ever tried it (Love will fix it the Warner brothers anthology 1973-81 cd)
Margie Joseph – Riding high (Wants list 4 cd/lp)
Millie Jackson – I cry (Exposed cd/lp)
Lou Courtney – What you want me to do (I’m in need of love cd/lp)
Leroy Hutson – Lucky Fellow (Hutson cd/lp)
Jean Carn – My love don’t come easy (Don’t let it go to your heard – the anthology cd)
Phyllis Hyman – Living inside your love (Deliver the love -the anthology cd)
Sylvia Striplin – You can’t turn me away (Give me your love cd/lp/best of uno melodic records cd)
Nicole Conte & Spiritual galaxy – Love power (Let your love shine on cd/lp)
Kamasi Washington – Fist of Fury (Heaven and earth cd/lp)
Tenderlonious – Red Sky at night (The Shakedown cd/lp)
Sean khan ft Heidi Vogel – Moment of collapse (Palmares Fantasy cd/lp)
Swing out Sister – Which wrong is right ? (Almost persuaded cd/lp)
Tatiana lady May Mayfield – I want more (The next Chapter cd)
Isaiah Sharkey – Special lady (Love life live cd)
Cornell CC Carter – That’s my baby (One Love cd/45)
Natasha Watts – Only you (My next chapter cd)
The Suffers – Mammas (Everything here cd/lp)
Agape Soul – The way that we love (Conversations cd)

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2018 saw new Soul albums at a low peak in terms of numbers but there were some great albums. The Suffers reminded us of what great vocal harmonies can be like with a really strong Soul album of the year ‘Everything Here’. Tatiana Lady May Mayfield possesses a lovely voice and her album ‘The Next Chapter’ was the best jazzy Soul album of the year. Isaiah Sharkey came out of the D’Angelo’s wings to create the superb ‘Love Life Live’ album. Steal Vybe created the best Soulful House album with ‘Generations’. There were also good albums from Swing out Sister (Jazzy Soul), Cornell CC Carter, Natasha Watts (both good new Soul in a more traditional mode) and Ali Shaheed Mohammed (Neo/Hip Hop Soul).

It was another great year for Jazz with several contenders for album of the year. Kamasi Washington treated us to a 3CD/5LP set ‘Heaven and Earth’ which in terms of conception and playing is our Jazz album of the year, an amazing album. Nicole Conte made one of, if not his best album ‘Let your light shine on’ a great fusion of Jazz with an Afro feel. Poogie Bell Band made their best album ‘Exhibition Continues’ a wonderful mix of Jazz and Soul. The Uk Jazz scene just keeps getting better and Tenderlonious and the 22A Arkestra served up ‘The Shakedown’ a beautiful album. Maisha also recorded a beautiful album ‘There is a place’ with wonderful instrumentation, and Sean Khan did not disappoint with ‘Palmares Fantasy’ partly recorded in Brasil.  Australia gave us Menagerie another fine album ‘Arrow of time’ and the Royal Krunk Jazz Orchestra was another good album featuring one of the best tracks of the year. ‘Fair’. ft Dionne Farris. Lori Williams and Kathy Koskins gave us some good vocal jazz.

Smooth jazz had a comparatively poor year, the highlights coming from Paula Atherton, Will Donato, Vince Ingala, Jeff Lorber and Brian Simpson.

There were some truly great Soul reissues this year with the magnificent Lou Courtney ‘I’m in need of love’ taking top spot. Leroy Hutson had all of his 70’s albums reissued this year, ‘Hutson’ and ‘Love Oh Love’ being our picks. The Skullsnaps superb album was also reissued for the first time legally and all of those four would feature in top soul albums of all time lists.  Earth Wind and Fire’s brilliantly funky first two albums were on a 2 on 1 CD, and Millie Jackson was ‘Exposed’ with many of her tracks being remixed and master and sounding better than ever. There were great 2Cd Anthologies from Jean Carn and Phyllis Hyman.

There were some fantastic Jazz reissues in 2018 many only on Vinyl. The discovery of an unreleased 1963 John Coltrane album ‘Both Directions at Once’ was top of the pile. Pyre Pleasure has a great year reissuing many albums from the Strata East and Tribe labels amongst others

There were some great compilations this year. Our ‘Wants List 4’ comp was well received and one of the best we have ever produced. ‘Soul on the Realside Vol 8’, ‘Eccentric Soul – Saru label’ and ‘Jack Ashford Just Productions vol 2 were great 70’s Modern Soul comps, and ‘Essential Motown Northern Soul was self explanatory. Expansion had three good comps: ’Soul Togetheness 2018’ , Luxury Soul 2018’ and ‘Best of Uno Melodic Records’.

There were also some brilliant Vinyl album only and singles releases