Lewis Smile

Slavic Smile was recorded in 1982, shortly after the Modern Jazz Quartet was reunited. On this album, the unique pianist of the MJQ, John Lewis pursued a different sound and approach from the legendary group, albeit with the same instrumentations and Connie Kay on the drum chair. The key difference, of course, is the presence of Bobby Hutcherson, whose cool, lyrical approach to the vibraphone is quite different from the more soulful and bluesy Milt Jackson. The band has a very unique, minimalistic and prestine sound, and Lewis's mixture of classical and jazz concepts gives the atmosphere of contemplative chamber music to the proceedings.

SoulMusic Records is proud to present a first-of-its-kind compilation of recordings by renowned singer/songwriter Barbara Lewis spanning her six years with Atlantic Records (1962-1968) and her brief one-year tenure with Reprise Records (1972). Known the world over in particular for her timeless classics, "Hello Stranger" and "Baby, I'm Yours", the Michigan-born chanteuse's distinctive brand of sweet soul brought her much acclaim in the mid-60s, resulting in a total of five Atlantic albums. This beautifully-packaged collection, sequenced in chronological order of recording session, includes the first CD release of a number of tracks from both the 1964 LP "Snap Your Fingers (Barbara Lewis Sings The Great Soul Tunes)" and the 1966 album, "It’s Magic"…

Clocking in at 26 minutes, Weather feels more like an EP than an LP, but there's a reason for the brevity. While Huey Lewis & the News were completing their first album of original material in nearly 20 years, Lewis was diagnosed with Meniere's disease, an affliction that effects hearing. Meniere's meant Huey could no longer hear notes clearly, which meant that he had to retire from performing, which in turn meant that the music the News completed for their new album would in effect be their final album. Since Huey Lewis & the News wrote and recorded Weather without planning it as a goodbye, the album has a light, breezy tone, and that amiability is actually a fitting farewell for a group who always were a hard-working rock & soul combo.

Despite several rough patches at the end of the 1970s, Linda Lewis rebounded with glorious aplomb on her September 1983 album, A Tear and a Smile. More than any of its predecessors, this album finds the singer in complete control of both her songwriting and her remarkable, dynamic vocal range – at the same time continuing down the path she forged during the previous decade. From start to finish, the songs are filled to bursting with soft ballads and wildly far-reaching grooves, helped along by Bert de Coteaux's immaculate production. But, as good as "I Am What I Am" and the haunting "Sweet Heartache" are, where she gathers her force and puts all her strengths together is on the absolutely stunning title track. Self-penned, "A Tear and a Smile" finds Lewis running without any flaws at all. That just leaves room (and barely!) for "Why Can't I Be the Other Woman," a duet between Lewis and Luther Vandross.