Sam Brown

Effortless Cool is an album by Homespun, a collaborative project between Sam Brown and Dave Rotheray. "Sweetness," "Italy," and "Minute" are among the tracks. This project was inaugurated in 2002 when David Rotheray found himself with some down time during a lull in Beautiful South activities. He recorded a series of demos with musical friends at his home studio and, after realising that the project demanded more serious consideration, called on vocalist Sam Brown to help him re-record the material. The self-titled debut album by the newly minted Homespun was one of 2003’s most charming releases, drawing on pop, country and folk and with Brown’s superb vocals providing the icing on the cake. The equally accomplished Effortless Cool followed in 2005. A third Homespun album was completed following the disbanding of the Beautiful South, with Rotheray, Brown and company joined by guest vocalists Mary Coughlan and Eleanor McEvoy.

James Brown - Pure Dynamite! (1964) {Universal Music Japan Mini LP UICY-9284 rel 2003}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 174 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 68 Mb
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© 1964, 2003 Polydor / Universal Music Japan | UICY-9284 | Cardboard Sleeve | 24bit remastering
Funk / R'n'B / Soul / Funky Jam

Limited to 5000 copies. Paper sleeve. PURE DYNAMITE! LIVE AT THE ROYAL was released in 1964 as KING K-883 with a gatefold cover that included photos and a biography. It reached #10 on the Billboard album charts. When Polydor reissued it they kept the "883" code number. In England it was released on the Stateside label. Most of the album was recorded live except for "Oh Baby Don't You Weep," which was originally a two-part single, here it's the whole take with overdubbed applause. All of the material performed here charted except for "I'm Tired But I'm Clean" a comedy routine featuring Bobby Bennett. The original release info and chart positions follow the song titles. The sound quality is what you expect for a live recording by a regional label in 1963, but it's not bad if you crank it up.

One of many fine alumni of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers to develop into leading bands of his own, Donald Brown has also been very successful as a composer, arranger, and pianist. Since the end of his association with the now defunct Muse, Brown has recorded a series of exciting sessions for the French-owned Space Time, including these 1995 outings. The exciting opener, "Shadow Chasers," is an uptempo romp mixing hard bop, post-bop, and a Latin tinge as well, with terrific solos by trumpeter Bill Mobley, alto saxophonist Manny Boyd, soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome, and the leader.