The partnership of veteran U.S. soul singer Billy Price and French blues guitarist Fred Chapellier might seem like an unlikely pairing, but the results – chronicled in the song "Champagne Blues and Pittsburgh Soul" – are an impressive, occasionally explosive meeting of the minds. Price with his strong tenor voice, similar to Robert Cray's at times, first found popular acclaim as Roy Buchanan's singer for a short while back in the mid-‘70s. While guitarist Chapellier isn't in Buchanan's league, his deft touch and alternately snaking/scorching leads fit well with this set of predominantly original R&B.
Ultimate Gangster Movie Soundtrack. Double CD 40 track collection of gangster movie phenomenon, featuring Stealers Wheel from Reservoir Dogs, Santana from Carlito's Way, Lalo Schifrin from Bullitt, Nilsson from Casino, Booket T and the MG's.
Down in Louisiana, Marva Wright was called the Blues Queen. Fans of her energy-filled performances, both live and recorded, called her a lot of other things, too, like "Marvalous Marva." The "bluesiana" numbers she favored were a strong showcase for her dynamic, gospel-rooted voice. One listen would be enough to convince any newcomer of her strengths, which was surprising in light of the fact that the vocalist was a late bloomer who didn't turn professional until 1987, when she was creeping up on 40. Even then, she only began singing as a way to support her family with a second job. Bourbon Street in the Big Easy led to more than she had dreamed, ultimately landing her gigs in Europe and across the world, with stops in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Brazil. Her appearances in the U.S. included Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York, as well as Texas, California, Vermont, Colorado, and Florida.
Marva Wright's albums might be filed more often under the blues section than any other, but in truth she's a versatile singer of all forms of New Orleans R&B, venturing into gospel and soul as well. There's no faulting her vocal performances on Born with the Blues; their powerful gutsiness marks her as one of the best blues/R&B singers to emerge in the final decades of the 20th century. It's the material that makes this an uneven record, though a worthwhile one on the whole. Some of the songs are quite good, the title track being a particular highlight for both its minor-keyed melody and vocals with a lived-in intensity that was a rare commodity indeed in '90s blues records. "Pray" is another peak, both for its moody gospel melody and stellar backup by Sonny Landreth on slithering slide guitar…
One of the great free jazz tenor saxophonists, Frank Wright was a high-energy player with a large tone and a style that made him often sound possessed. On this previously unissued ESP set, he is joined by pianist Bobby Few (who during the latter part of the set hints at his roots in more mainstream jazz), the virtuosic bassist Alan Silva and the powerful drummer Muhammad Ali at the 1974 Moers Jazz Festival. The two selections are continuous, never run out of intensity, and feature some intense playing, particularly from Wright and Ali. Free jazz collectors will definitely want this powerful performance.
British electronic/new age musician David Wright was born in 1953. He has released numerous records both solo and with the groups Callisto and Code Indigo that display a wide range of influences - he spent his formative years in the Far East. Working primarily in the electronic realm - he founded his own label, AD Music, in 1989 - Wright peppers his impressionistic compositions with rock, jazz, classical, and worldbeat flavors, resulting in an instrumental smorgasbord of diverse moods and colors that has been favorably compared to Kitaro, Mike Oldfield, and Vangelis.
Dissimilar Views is an extraordinary emotional roller coaster ride through instrumental music moods and styles. It is melodic, thematic and at times esoteric, but it is always instantly accessible.
Dissimilar Views incorporates influences and textures from outside the traditional electronic music sphere alongside what was becoming David's recognisable style. The breathtaking musical odyssey gathers in music from the aborted Korce Project and several live performances, including a UK Electronica.
Playing in the traditional idiom of the lounge setting (Wright on alto sax and flute, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Gloria Coleman on organ, and Frankie Dunlap on drums) could be fairly boring and pat, not to mention little more than background for some prime rib and a bottle of Blue Nun. Wright steers his group away from that with balance, control and unmatched intuition from all his players. A key element of Soul Talk's success is restraint. Wright is a fantastic soloist with an expressively smooth and prolonged attack that jumps out and takes command without bowling over the other instruments. When his combo gets their moment to step up, they do it gracefully and with flair. Witness Coleman's organ vamps within their take on "Skylark," how she percolates in the background before jumping up for eight bars of wonderful before descending back into the track's natural warmth…