Manchester jazz-funkers Secret Night Gang bring their bold self-titled debut album to Brownswood Recordings. Led by the soulful vocals of Kemani Anderson and featuring saxophonist Callum Connell’s pin-sharp orchestrations, Secret Night Gang is a joyful slice of summer-soul goodness that nods to the vibrant history of jazz-inflected soul, while reflecting today’s genre blending sensibilities in a heady mix of gospel, R&B, souljazz and more.
The sun has set, it’s cocktail hour and you need some sounds to help you settle into the evening. These are those sounds. More than four hours of the very best after-hours jazz around. Whether sultry saxophone, cool singing, muted trumpet or relaxed piano, this Late Night Jazz is the perfect accompaniment to your wee small hours.
Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Scott, Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, Kenny Barron and many others.
Some albums are so obvious it’s a wonder they didn’t exist before, and so it is with Chris Isaak's Beyond the Sun, a salute to the classic rock & roll label Sun Records. Ever since his first album, Isaak has exhibited an enormous debt to the titans who recorded at Sun, particularly Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley, whose work is showcased heavily here. Isaak doesn’t stick strictly to songs released on Sun – he covers “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which Presley did not release during his time on Sun – but he doesn’t stick to the obvious, either, finding excellent songs from the likes of Warren Smith. Still, Elvis rules the roost, not only in terms of songs covered, but in approach.
This is the great late-night Sun Ra chillout album you never knew about. The band had been working in a more groove-oriented setting off and on for over a year, as evidenced by the albums Lanquidity and On Jupiter, with both featuring prominent electric bass and electric guitar. Sleeping Beauty picks up right where On Jupiter left off, with the gentle, swaying "Springtime Again" echoing the same mellow vibe of "Seductive Fantasy" from On Jupiter.
Known to music fans around the world as the "King of the Boogie," John Lee Hooker endures as one of the true superstars of the blues genre: the ultimate beholder of cool. His work is widely recognized for its impact on modern music – his simple, yet deeply effective songs transcend borders and languages around the globe. "Recorded at the Rising Sun Celebrity Jazz Club in Montreal, Quebec, on May 5, 1977, Black Night Is Falling finds John Lee Hooker in fine voice and backed by a driving band composed of John Garcia on guitar, Steve Jones on bass, and Larry 'Wild Man' Martin on drums, with the end result being an excellent example of Hooker at his best. Highlights include impressive romps through Hooker's signature tunes, 'Boom Boom,' which simply blazes with raw energy here, and 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,' which is delivered as a wonderfully paced barroom cautionary tale. This is what the live Hooker sounded like with a sympathetic band behind him, a band that luckily wasn't afraid to push him a little."
Oldie Night Series is a great one to have in a collection, full of great artists and great songs. I would recommend this CDs to others. If you enjoyed the 60"s-80"s music, you will surely like this CDs!