It's Got To Be Funky

Singer, songwriter, sax man Scott Ramminger likes to make listeners think with his clever original tunes. But he also likes to make them tap their feet or do that chair boogie thing. Firmly rooted in the blues, this album of originals was recorded in New Orleans and Ramminger's current home of Washington DC. Ramminger is backed up on the disk by some of the top players in both towns. Adding to the excitement, Nashville's McCrary Sisters, who have backed up everyone from Bob Dylan to Dr. John, sing on six of the ten tracks - one a duet between Ramminger and Regina McCrary. Nashville's Etta Britt joins Ramminger on two of the tracks. "Advice From a Father to a Son," was getting critical acclaim and songwriting awards even before its release. "For me, the groove has got to be there," Ramminger notes. "But song also has to have something to say lyrically, go somewhere. Finally, I like to play, and I had some of the best players around on this record, so I was going to make sure there was room for everyone to stretch out a bit."

While recording her 2019 album War in My Mind with producer Rob Cavallo, Beth Hart sang a version of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" during a bit of downtime in the studio. Impressed, Cavallo suggested that Hart record an entire album of Zeppelin covers, but the singer demurred, saying she needed to be in a specific mindset to sing those songs: "you've got to be pissed off to hit that right." Hart got pissed off during the COVID-19 pandemic, so she summoned Cavallo and made A Tribute to Led Zeppelin. If Hart's focus on anger suggests she has perhaps a rather limited perspective on the oeuvre of Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham, the resulting A Tribute to Led Zeppelin confirms such suspicions.

The Chicago guitarist/saxist spreads his stylistic wings considerably further than he did on his debut, embracing funk more fully than his first time around but offering enough tasty contemporary blues to keep everyone happy. The prolific triple threat (he's also an engaging singer) wrote all but three tracks himself (one of the covers is the shuffling "Small Town Baby"; its composer, veteran pianist Jimmy Walker, plays on the cut).–by Bill Dahl

The Chicago guitarist/saxist spreads his stylistic wings considerably further than he did on his debut, embracing funk more fully than his first time around but offering enough tasty contemporary blues to keep everyone happy. The prolific triple threat (he's also an engaging singer) wrote all but three tracks himself (one of the covers is the shuffling "Small Town Baby"; its composer, veteran pianist Jimmy Walker, plays on the cut).

The Chicago guitarist/saxist spreads his stylistic wings considerably further than he did on his debut, embracing funk more fully than his first time around but offering enough tasty contemporary blues to keep everyone happy. The prolific triple threat (he's also an engaging singer) wrote all but three tracks himself (one of the covers is the shuffling "Small Town Baby"; its composer, veteran pianist Jimmy Walker, plays on the cut).

Various Artists - Old School Soul Party (2005) {4CD Set, Shout! Factory DK 33717}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.93 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 693 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 379 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2005 Shout! Factory / TJL | DK 33717
Soul / R&B / Funk / Memphis Soul / Smooth Soul

One can't venture very far into contemporary pop without hearing the echoes of '70s-'80's soul, funk and r&b; decades once mocked have seen their vibrant, groove-savvy music re-embraced – often without a trace of kitsch-savvy irony. This triple-disc, 58 track collection may come anthologized with a slightly cheesy conceit–retro-party-soundtrack-in-a-box, with discs devoted to flavoring your soulful soiree's beginning, middle and end–but its potent collection of vintage, era-evoking favorites can't be denied. Disc one/"Kickin' It Off" wends its way from expected jams like Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" and Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" through such funk-fueled grooves as James Brown's sweaty "Payback" and Donna Summer's urgent, torch-song-with-a beat "Last Dance." Disc two/"Getting' Into the Groove" does just that via Top 40 stalwarts like The Spinners, Four Tops and O'Jays, while making room for legends (Al Green, Isley Brothers) and newcomers like the Brothers Johnson and Kool & the Gang alike. The set's final act winds down into late-night sultriness via Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Heraling," Delfonics' "Didn't I Blow Your Mind," Pointer Sister's "Slow Hand" and other sexy charms.

Sessions is Union Square Music’s 2CD urban and dance music range. Aimed at both the hardened dance music fan and the impulse purchaser, each Sessions title is packed full of hit singles, big club tracks and a choice selection of forgotten gems and underground classics picked out by our expert crate-digging compilers. Strong generic packaging including an outer slipcase, informative sleeve notes and a low price in the shops have made Sessions one of our most popular labels.

This incredible boxed set comprises 15 CD's from the legendary P&P Records and its associated labels. Featuring 185 songs from 22 different record labels, it has a total playing time of over 18½ hours. It is the first time ever that the complete P&P output has been assembled in one collection and it is a testament to the talents of Peter Brown, Patrick Adams and Patricia Gilyard that this music is in as much demand today as it was when these titles were originally released as 12" singles.