SoulMusic Records is very proud to present a deluxe 2-CD expanded edition of the 1986 self-titled Elektra Records debut album by soul/gospel singer/songwriter Shirley Murdock, whose work with ‘80s funk group Zapp and Roger Troutman first brought her to international prominence in 1984.
The Moody Blues get the two-disc treatment on the latest installment of Polydor's surprisingly thorough Gold series. Rather than just assemble the usual suspects around staples like "Tuesday Afternoon" and "Story in Your Eyes" (which are here), the compilers dove deep into the group's career, providing tracks from solo recordings like "Remember Me My Friend" from Justin Hayward and John Lodge's excellent Blue Jays album and their gorgeous follow-up single, "Blue Guitar," as well as lesser-known late-'70s/early-'80s cuts from Octave, The Present, and Sur la Mer…
Standard Ramsey Lewis vehicle; good-to-routine pop-flavored and soulful material with some rousing piano solos and some not so energetic. Lewis was in the middle of another impressive run, making one hit album after another.
Pianist and composer Ramsey Lewis has been a major figure in contemporary jazz since the late '50s, playing music with a warm, open personality that's allowed him to cross over to the pop and R&B charts. Initially emerging with his jazz trio, Lewis broke through with his Grammy-winning 1965 album The In Crowd. He further developed his sound, experimenting with synthesizers and funk grooves on work such as 1974's Sun Goddess. He has remained a crossover icon, hosting his own radio and television programs and issuing albums like 2002's Meant to Be with Nancy Wilson, 2011's Taking Another Look, and 2019's VII with his long-running contemporary jazz collective Urban Knights.