2017 saw relatively few new Soul albums of real quality, however there were some real gems. Leela James possess one of the best voices in contemporary Soul and her ‘Did it for Love’ is our Soul album of the year. Tom Glide made his best album by far with ‘Divas got soul’ featuring many great singers. R.C and the Grits made a great Jazzy Soul album with tough grooves. Moonchild did not disappoint with ‘Voyager’ and Izzi Dunn made the great album we all knew she was capable of. Josh Milan made his debut solo album and a wonderful 2CD set of Jazzy Soulful and House grooves it is. Kennedy Administration arrived and conquered with a really strong album. 2017 was the year of the Rebirth of Soul with really strong Retro Soul albums from Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sugaray Rayford, Don Bryant, Robert Cray and Hi Rhythm plus this month, Syleena Johnson and Sharon Jones.
Soul Albums Of The Year 2017
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Leela James
Did It For Love
CD / £17.99 Out of Stock -
Tom Glide
Divas Got Soul
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Memphis – Yes I’M Ready
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
RC & The Gritz
The Feel
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Moonchild
Voyager
CD / £11.99 Add to basket -
Moonchild
Voyager
LP, Vinyl / £17.99 Out of Stock -
Sugaray Rayford
The World That We Live In
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Sugaray Rayford
The World That We Live In
LP, Vinyl / £19.99 Add to basket -
Don Bryant
Don”T Give Up On Love
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Don Bryant
Don”t Give Up On Love
LP, Vinyl / £21.99 Add to basket -
Josh Milan
6.9.69
CD / £19.99 Out of Stock -
Izzi Dunn
Recycle Love
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Kennedy Administration
Kennedy Administration
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Kennedy Administration
Kennedy Administration
LP, Vinyl / £22.99 Add to basket -
Aaron Abernathy
Monologue
CD / £17.99 Add to basket -
Aaron Abernathy
Monologue
LP, Vinyl / £34.99 Add to basket -
Ali Tennant
Get Loved
CD / £13.99 Out of Stock -
Rasheed Ali
1968 : Love Power
CD / £19.99 Add to basket -
Avery Sunshine
Twenty Sixty Four.
CD / £18.99 Add to basket -
Cornell 'CC' Carter
Vindicated Soul
CD / £17.99 Out of Stock
It was great year for Jazz music, with many outstanding albums being recorded and released and real competition to make the Top 10 of the year. Top spot goes to Nicholas Payton with his wonderful ‘Afro Caribbean Mix Tape’ Double CD. This album is one that you keep going back to and it keeps giving on each play. What hits you are the Rhythms which are compulsive. The compositions are varied and strong, the playing is also great, in places reminding us of Miles and Herbie in their heyday, and using famous artists like Miles. Dizzy, Max Roach etc voices helps illustrate a story, a really magical hypnotic album.
Master drummer Trevor Lawrence Jr also hit home hard with his wonderful ‘Relationships’ set. Accompanied by Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, Rose Gold, Johnny Britt and many others this is another really strong album, with ‘Bring to the party’ the best up tempo jazz-Funk dancer I’ve heard in many years. Chantae Cann made her second album and ‘Sol Empowered’ is if anything even better than her debut. ‘The Light’ is truly uplifting and amazing, and one of the best tracks of the year. Jazzmeia Horn arrived on the scene with a bang, and is a future star in the making. Her album ‘A Social Call’ is a selection of standards and great songs but done in her way. The version of ‘People Make the world go round’ with a spoken word intro blew us away and was another track of the year. You can hear a very interesting interview on mixcloud-soulbrothersounds.
Latin music legend Eddie Palmieri returned at the age of 80 and after a 10 year absence to record one of his best ever albums ‘Sabiduria’ imparting his wisdom and Latin rhythms to magical effect. Terrace Martin and The Pollyseeds made a great Jazz album with Funk and Soul elements ‘The Sound of Crenshaw Volume one’ that kept us grooving, he really has his own sound. Christian Scott made three albums in 2017, the third part of the trilogy celebrating 100 years of jazz music ‘The Emancipation Procrastination’ is the most accessible album he has made and a real delight.
Trumpeter Maurice Brown’s ‘The Mood’ was another really strong album throughout , Up to date jazz-Funk and containing possibly the track of the year ‘Destination Hope’ featuring Chris Turner on vocals. Nate Smith made a lovely album ‘Kinfolk’ a mellow but thoughtful album featuring some vocal cuts from Gretchen Parlato and Amma Whatt. Ruby Rushton from Peckham also released three albums in 2017. The best ‘Two For Joy’ was actually recorded four years ago but only now available to us all. These are hard hitting Jazz grooves, the 15 minute epic ‘Room with a View’ is a killer ! There were also good albums from Tony Alllen, Dayme Arocena, Azymuth, Carmen Lundy, Sabrina Malherios, Chip Wickham and many others. There were some good Smooth Jazz albums, Rick Braun ‘Around The Horn’ being the best, but Norman Brown, Brian Simpson, Boney James and Najee didn’t disappoint.
Jazz Albums Of The Year 2017
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Nicholas Payton
Afro Caribbean Mix Tape
CD / £18.99 Out of Stock -
Trevor Lawrence Jr
Relationships
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Chantae Cann
Sol Empowered
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Jazzmeia Horn
A Social Call
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Eddie Palmieri
Sabiduria (Wisdom)
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Terrace Martin Presents The Pollyseeds
Sounds Of Crenshaw Vol 1
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Christian Scott
Emancipation Procrastination
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Maurice Brown
The Mood
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Nate Smith
Kinfolk – Postcards From Everywhere
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Ruby Rushton
Two For Joy
CD / £11.99 Add to basket -
Ruby Rushton
Two For Joy
LP, Vinyl / £17.99 Out of Stock -
Tony Allen
The Source
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Tony Allen
The Source
LP, Vinyl / £26.99 Out of Stock -
Dayme Arocena
Cubafonia
LP, Vinyl / £19.99 Add to basket -
Dayme Arocena
Cubafonia
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Azymuth
Fenix
CD / £13.99 Out of Stock -
Azymuth
Fenix
LP, Vinyl / £19.99 Out of Stock -
Bad Bad Not Good
Bad Bad Not Good Iv
CD / £11.99 Add to basket -
Bad Bad Not Good
Bad Bad Not Good Iv
LP, Vinyl / £21.99 Out of Stock -
Sarah Elizabeth Charles
Free Of Form
CD / £14.99 Add to basket
Smooth Jazz Albums Of The Year 2017
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Rick Braun
Around The Horn
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Norman Brown
Let It Go
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Brian Simpson
Persuasion
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Boney James
Honesty
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Najee
Poetry In Motion
CD / £18.99 Add to basket -
Ronny Smith
Shake It Up
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Pieces Of A Dream
Just Funkin Around
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Kayla Waters
Apogee
CD / £19.99 Out of Stock -
Cindy Bradley
Natural
CD / £19.99 Out of Stock -
Jeff Lorber Fusion
Prototype
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Nathan East
Reverence
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
David Benoit And Marc Antione
So Nice
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Ken Navarro
Bonfire
CD / £18.99 Out of Stock -
Julian Vaughn
Bona Fide
CD / £19.99 Add to basket -
Jackhiem Joyner
Main Street Beat
CD / £14.99 Add to basket -
Special Efx
Deep As The Night
CD / £19.99 Add to basket
Soul on the Real side volumes 6 & 7 were the best Compilations, and Expansion served us Soul Festival and the ever reliable Soul Togetherness 2017. BBE gave us a couple of gems in Best of Disco Spectrum and Kev Beadle’s Private Collection Vol 3. Ace also delivered with Mainstream Modern Soul vol 2 and ‘Nothing But a Houseparty’.
Compilations Of The Year 2017
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Various Artists
Soul On The Realside Vol 7
CD / £12.99 Out of Stock -
Various Artists
Soul On The Real Side Vol 6
CD / £12.99 Out of Stock -
Various Artists
Soul Festival
LP, Vinyl / £17.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Soul Festival
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Soul Togetherness 2017
CD / £11.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Soul Togetherness 2017
LP, Vinyl / £22.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
This Love Is Real – The Sweet Soul Of Chicago 1968-1981
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Various Artists
This Love Is Real – The Sweet Soul Of Chicago 1968-1981
LP, Vinyl / £19.99 Out of Stock -
Various Artists
This Time It Will Be Different – The Sweet Soul Of Philadelphia 1968-1982
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Various Artists
This Time It Will Be Different – The Sweet Soul Of Philadelphia 1968-1982
LP, Vinyl / £19.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Nothing But A House Party – The Birth Of The Philly Sound 1967-71
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Mainstream Modern Soul Volume 2 – 1969-1976
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Joey Negro And Sean P The Best Of Disco Spectrum
CD / £16.99 Out of Stock -
Various Artists
Joey Negro And Sean P The Best OfDisco Spectrum
LP, Vinyl / £29.99 Out of Stock -
Various Artists
Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection Vol 3
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection Vol 3
LP, Vinyl / £29.99 Out of Stock -
Various Artists
Bob Holmes Nashville Soul
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Celestial Blues: Cosmic, Political And Spiritual Jazz 1970 To 1974
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Celestial Blues: Cosmic, Political And Spiritual Jazz 1970 To 1974
LP, Vinyl / £24.99 Add to basket -
Various Artists
Cool Heat ~ The Best Of Cti Records
CD / £13.99 Add to basket
There were fewer reissues and comps this year. The Voices Of East Harlem two Leroy Hutson produced albums were the outstanding Soul reissues of the year. Hutson himself had a great Anthology, Retta Young and Susan Phillips New Jersey albums were also outstanding. there were also a lot of good 2cd anthologies from Archie Bell, Melba Moore, BT Express, Norman Connors, Donald Byrd, Harvey Mason, Tom Browne and many more.
Soul Reissues of The Year 2017
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Voices Of East Harlem
Voices Of East Harlem/Can You Feel It
CD / £12.99 Add to basket -
Voices Of East Harlem
Voices Of East Harlem
LP, Vinyl / £17.99 Out of Stock -
Voices Of East Harlem
Can You Feel It
LP, Vinyl / £17.99 Add to basket -
Leroy Hutson
Anthology 1972-84
CD / £14.99 Out of Stock -
Leroy Hutson
Anthology 1972-84
LP, Vinyl / £24.99 Out of Stock -
Rhetta Young
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
CD / £12.99 Add to basket -
Retta Young
Young And Restless
LP, Vinyl / £19.99 Add to basket -
Johnny Bristol
Modern Soul Classics 1974-1981
CD / £17.99 Out of Stock -
Breakwater
Breakwater/Splashdown
CD / £12.99 Out of Stock -
Melba Moore
Standing Right Here – The Anthology The Buddah And Epic Years
CD / £15.99 Add to basket
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Jazz Reissues of The Year 2017
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Norman Connors
Valentine Love: The Buddah / Arista Anthology
CD / £15.99 Out of Stock -
Donald Byrd
Love Has Come Around: The Elektra Records Anthology 1978-1982
CD / £15.99 Add to basket -
Harvey Mason
Sho Nuff Groovin’ You: The Arista Records Anthology 1975-1981
CD / £15.99 Out of Stock -
Tom Browne
Brother, Brother: The Grp / Arista Anthology
CD / £15.99 Add to basket -
Ramsey Lewis
Sun Goddess(Bonus Tracks Edition)
CD / £9.99 Add to basket -
Bobby Hutcherson
Highway One/ Conception: The Gift Of Love/ Un Poco Loco
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Judy Roberts Band
Judy Roberts Band
CD / £12.99 Add to basket -
Judy Roberts
Nights In Brazil
CD / £12.99 Add to basket -
Benny Golson
Killer Joe Plus Bonus Tracks
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Eric Gale
Eric Gale : The Definitive Collection
CD / £13.99 Out of Stock -
Ray Barretto
Acid
CD / £13.99 Out of Stock -
Fuse One
Fuse One/Silk
CD / £11.99 Add to basket -
Mulatu Of Ethiopia
Mulatu Of Ethiopia
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Mulatu Of Ethiopia
Mulatu Of Ethiopia
LP, Vinyl / £21.99 Add to basket -
Michal Urbaniak
Urbaniak
CD / £12.99 Add to basket -
Charles Sullivan
Genesis
CD / £12.99 Out of Stock -
Arthur Verocai
Encore
CD / £13.99 Add to basket -
Arthur Verocai
Encore
LP, Vinyl / £22.99 Add to basket
There were some great singles in 2017 including many on the Soul Brother (Almeta Latimore, Maureen Bailey, Harlem River Drive, Bobby Sheen and Rita Wright) Expansion (Aristocrats, Keni Burke, Ronn Matlock, Spyder Turner) labels, plus a few gems from Ace (check the Shirley Brown) plus from Soul Junction and the new Izipho Soul labels.
Singles of The Year 2017
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Aristocrats
Let’S Get Together Now (expansion s4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Add to basket -
Maureen Bailey
Takin My Time With You/I Want You (All For Myself) (soul brother s4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Add to basket -
Keni Burke
Risin” To The Top / Hang Tight
7" single, Vinyl / £13.00 Add to basket -
Norman Connors
Be There In The Morning/I Don’T Need Nobody Else (expansion s4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £13.00 Add to basket -
Cooperettes/Toppiks
Win All Your Love/Win All Your Love (soul junction s4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £11.00 Add to basket -
Crystal Motion
You’Re My Main Squeeze
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Add to basket -
Ned Doheny
To Prove My Love/Guess Who’S Looking For Love
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Add to basket -
Eddie & Ernie
A Man To Love A Woman/You Make My Life A Sunny Day
7" single, Vinyl / £11.00 Add to basket -
Friends Of Distinction
When A Little Love Began To Die/Ain’T No Woman
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Add to basket -
Art Gentry/Shirley Brown
This Is My Chance/Even If The Signs Are Wrong (BGP Kent s4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £11.00 Out of Stock -
Penny Goodwin
Too Soon You’Re Old/Lady Day And John Coltrane (AOTN S4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £12.00 Add to basket -
Harlem River Drive
Idle Hands/Seeds Of Life (soul brother s4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Add to basket -
Headhunters
God Make Me Funky /If You’Ve Got It You’Ll Get It Rsd2017
7" single, Vinyl / £14.00 Add to basket -
Leroy Hutson
Now That I Found You/Get To This
7" single, Vinyl / £14.00 Out of Stock -
Gregg Jackson With Strike Force Band
One For The Road/Your Love
7" single, Vinyl / £12.00 Out of Stock -
Al Johnson
Back For More/I’Ve Got My Second Wind
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Add to basket -
Almeta Latimore
These Memories/Oh My Love (soul brother s4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Out of Stock -
Ronn Matlock
You Got The Best Of Me/I Can’t Forget About You
7" single, Vinyl / £13.00 Out of Stock -
Tommy Mcgee
Now That I Have You/Stay With Me
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Out of Stock -
Mystique
If You’Re In Need / Spoiled Like A Baby (expansion s4519)
7" single, Vinyl / £10.00 Add to basket
There were many great Reissue Albums on Vinyl including several on our own label and Expansion plus some great Spiritual Jazz originally from the Strata East label. Vinyl seems to have a great momentum behind it at the moment, watch out for more in 2018.
Reissue Vinyl Albums of The Year 2017
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100% Pure Poison
Coming Right At You
LP, Vinyl / £19.99 Add to basket -
Don Blackman
Don Blackman
LP, Vinyl / £29.99 Out of Stock -
Breakwater
Best Of Breawater
LP, Vinyl / £24.99 Add to basket -
Descendents Of Mike And Pheobe
Descendents Of Mike And Pheobe(180Gm)
LP, Vinyl / £37.99 Add to basket -
Heath Brothers
Marching On
LP, Vinyl / £24.99 Out of Stock -
Idris Muhammad
Turn This Mutha Out
LP, Vinyl / £22.99 Add to basket -
Pharoah Sanders
Izipho Zam
LP, Vinyl / £24.99 Out of Stock -
Susan Phillips
Soft Sexy Soul (Rsd 2017)
LP, Vinyl / £24.99 Add to basket -
Billy Parker'S Fourth World
Freedom Of Speech(180Gm)
LP, Vinyl / £37.99 Add to basket -
Spanky Wilson
Doin It (180Gm)
LP, Vinyl / £24.99 Out of Stock -
Stevie Wonder
Songs In The Key Of Life(180Gm)
LP, Vinyl / £53.99 Add to basket -
Various
Here Comes The Night Owl
LP, Vinyl / £24.99 Add to basket