Future Funk Vocals

French guitarist/producer U-Nam is again standing tall and looming large on the smooth jazz scene with another creative gem called C’est Le Funk. In addition to dazzling us with his graceful and funky instrumental work (and one funky delivery with vocals from Tim “TiO” Owens), the album is loaded with strong production and presence. Wasting no time putting the groove into high gear from the start, the guitarist leads off with a driving track called “Smoovin’,” continues plowing ahead with the party groover “Something’s Up” and strutting right through the super-funky, hook-rich title track which features Nivo Deux (Nivo Deux is actually a project organized by U-Nam and wife Shannon Kennedy focusing on the incorporation of 80’s Pop, Smooth Jazz, and Electro-Funk).

Pleasure - Future Now (1979) {BGP Records CDBGPM256 rel 2013}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 275 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 95 Mb
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© 1979, 2013 Concord / Ace Records / BGP Records | CDBGPM 256
Jazz Funk / Funk / Quiet Storm / Soul / Disco

Pleasure’s fifth album was a momentous one for the Oregon funk outfit. Over the previous four years they had released an album a year, all of which were aimed to make them serious challengers to acts such as Kool & the Gang. The first three saw a steady build, but the fourth, “Get To The Feeling”, despite some cracking tunes, failed to sell especially well.

Fabulously funky. Hypnotically rhythmic. Soulfully Sophisticated. Those six powerful words alone could be the entire overview of this album. But that would be an injustice to the newest project from the genius guitarist, composer and producer U-Nam. Soaring from the success of his previous Billboard number 8 Smooth Jazz album Future Love, U-Nam picks up where he left off and continues the unfinished work of this album’s predecessor. The Love Vault, due to be released October 11 on this own Skytown Records label, was born out of U-Nam’s vast collection of previously unpolished, unrecorded or archived songs in the musician’s extensive arsenal of music.

Today, the inimitable jazz vocalist, activist, and nominal godfather of the LA jazz scene, Dwight Trible, returns with the announcement of his new album “Ancient Future”. Out 17th March via London jazz aficionados and analog specialists Gearbox Records , the new record follows his critically acclaimed album “Mothership”, which was released in 2019 and saw him collaborate with the likes of Kamasi Washington, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, and more.

Paris born guitar virtuoso Emmanuel “U-Nam” Abiteboul is showing his generous side again. With fifteen tracks on his new album Future Love he provides us with plenty of good music. Future Love is U-Nam's positive view of things. A large number of top-notch musicians have participated in this gigantic project. U-Nam performs guitars, bass, keyboards, synth bass, Vocoder and also made programming and editing. Further musicians are Alex Al, Dwayne "Smitty" Smith (bass), Denis Benarrosh (percussion), Fran Merante, Michael White (drums), Christian Martinez (trumpet & flugelhorn), Andrey Chmut (sax), Valeriy Stepanov, Mathias Roos, Bill Steinway (Rhodes), Frank Sitborn (Rhodes and Clavinet), Maria Grig (viola and violin), Kim Hansen (B3 organ), Tim "Tio" Owens, Kim Chandler (vocals), and Shannon Abiteboul (sax and flute).

From the opening bars of "Wild and Peaceful" (almost a description of the group's style) with its soaring strings, crystalline piano, and flawless vocal harmonies, it's apparent that No Time Like the Future is rich with Incognito's patented blend of soul and finesse. "It Ain't Easy," with its refrain of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On," is a classic funk outcry; "Fearless" is a wordless chant with some great rhythm guitar and booting jazz saxophone; "Nights Over Egypt" backs another great vocal with popping bass and orchestral atmospherics; "Black Rain" mixes exotic drumming with some subliminal dissonance. Producer-composer-guitarist Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick has added string arrangements by Simon Hale, appearances by the horns of the hot Cuban band Irakere, and the performances of small army of R&B singers (Maysa, especially) and British contemporary jazz players (Ed Jones stands out on tenor and soprano). The result is an irresistible combination of strong songs and pulsing rhythm tracks, all polished to slippery perfection.