Sly Who The Funk

Earl Van Dyke - The Motown Sound: The Complete Albums & More (1963-1970) {2CD Set Hip-O Select B0016212-02 rel 2012}
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© 1963-70, 2012 Motown / Hip-O Select / Universal | B0016212-02
Rhythm & Blues / Soul / Funk / Organ

2012 two CD collection devoted to the works of Motown session keyboardist (and Funk Brother extraordinaire) Earl Van Dyke. Originally, some of the Hitsville studio musicians would be ''allowed'' to cut soulful Blues and Jazz tracks for the company's Workshop Jazz label, as long as they handled the regular gig, cutting hits on the Hitsville U.S.A. assembly line. By 1964, however, Workshop Jazz was dead. Motown made good on their promise, somewhat, giving Earl Van Dyke a rare opportunity in the spotlight by issuing in his name a single and a subsequent LP, That Motown Sound. Earl's artistic disappointment belies the gems contained within those vocal-less Motown hits and the additional bonus tracks from Motown's vaults that comprise Disc One of this set. Additional previously unheard nuggets can be found amongst the bonus tracks on Disc Two.

Charles Earland - In Concert: At The Montreux Jazz Festival and The Lighthouse (1972-1974) {Pestige PRCD-24267-2 rel 2002}
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© 1972-74, 2002 Prestige / Fantasy | PRCD-24267-2
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Organ Hammond B-3

This two-fer CD pairs 1972's Live at the Lighthouse with the less impressive, though still worthy, 1974 album Kharma, which was recorded at that year's Montreux Jazz Festival. As the head of a sextet on Live at the Lighthouse, Earland spearheaded some first-class soul-jazz, which integrated some funk and rock of the early '70s without sounding like a watered-down cocktail of all those styles (as many other soul-jazz-pop albums of the time did). The horn section of James Vass on sax and Elmer Coles on trumpet leaned more toward soul than jazz, as heard on the opening instrumental cover of Sly & the Family Stone's "Smilin'." The Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" wasn't the greatest tune to attempt, though Earland gamely put it into a boppish swing arrangement.

Funk'N'Stein, the brainchild of lead vocalist Elran Dekel and Guri Alfi (who left to pursue another career), possesses the spirit of funk legends George Clinton & Sly & The Family Stone. Yet this eight-piece group hails from Tel Aviv, Israel. Through various jam sessions, music festivals and appearances on the MTV-like channel Music 24 in their home country, Funk ‘N' Stein built a huge following. After their recorded debut in 2006, Funk ‘N' Stein's exposure extended from Europe to a full-out 2008 Australian Funk Tour. Now inked to Soul Unsigned, primarily known for compilations, Funk ‘N' Stein is only the second act on the label to be featured with their own project; this one entitled Funky Mission.