#364 : CeCe Teneal & Soul Kamotion - #5OR5000

2018 – IHEART CECE

Release Date: June 22, 2018

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 1, 2018

I love the fabulous, soulful energy that flows from #5OR500, the new live album from Florida-based band CeCe Teneal and Soul Kamotion.  The title is reflective of the band’s mission to give one hundred percent on every performance, no matter if the audience size is five, or five thousand.  With CeCe Teneal front and center on vocals, the rest of Soul Kamotion is comprised of guitarist Lavon Rushing, bassist Terrell Kimble, keyboardist Christopher Baptiste, and drummer James Adkins.

“90 MPH” is a sonic blast of fearless funk as it lifts this twelve-track album off the launching pad.  With Teneal holding nothing back on vocals, Rushing loads the song with monster riffs,   Kimble thumps a groovy bassline, and Adkins is a beast behind the drums.  “Danger” puts a big smile on my face as well.  It keeps the funk flowing with a call-back to the great R&B songs of the Eighties with a touch of brass. 

There’s no shortage of blues as Teneal sings about paybacks on “Common Ordinary Housewife”.  Rushing plays this with finesse, and Teneal’s voice, full of power and range, delivers an outstanding performance. “Lonely (Even When You’re Here)” is beautifully melancholy.  Baptiste sets the atmosphere for this amazing listen.   

The band is solid and tight from beginning to end, and Teneal definitely delivers her one hundred percent.  #5OR5000 is one of the best live albums of this nature I’ve heard.  I highly recommend it.

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For more information about CeCe Teneal & Soul Kamotion, visit their website: https://soulkamotion.com  

Gina Sicilia - Sunset Avenue

2016 – Blue Elan Records

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 26, 2016

Beautiful, captivating vocals are the center of attention in Sunset Avenue, the sixth studio release from Philadelphia singer/songwriter Gina Sicilia.  Nominated in 2008 for a Blues Music Award in the category of Best New Artist Debut, Sicilia proves once again, her voice is certainly one to be reckoned with.  Her approach to singing the blues is a softer and more soulful one. 

I’m hooked on this album right from the get-go with “Abandoned”, a marvelous piece dunked in country-blues.  Sicilia’s bluesy performance on “They Never Pay Me” is quite breathtaking, as she sheds her chains of repression to stand out and be heard.  This outstanding song is wonderfully played.  Another sweet little prize on this album is her joy-filled cover of The Exciters’ 1962 Top 10 single “Tell Him”.  It’s a delightful homage indeed.

Sicilia’s sweet stellar voice, along with her talented and tight cast of musicians make Sunset Avenue the standout five-track EP it is.  

Randy McAllister and the Scrappiest Band in the Motherland - Fistful of Gumption

2016 – Reaction Records

By Phillip Smith; Dec. 23, 2016

Randy McAllister and the Scrappiest Band in the Motherland bring to the table, ten wonderful tracks of Texas blues and simmering soul, wrapped tightly in a Fistful of Gumption.  Singer/songwriter/drummer McAllister, guitarist Rob Dewan, fiddle player Maya Van Nuys, and bassist Matt Higgens make up the core of this top-class band. 

A pulsing fiddle riff and a driving beat pumps the groove through “C’mon Brothers and Sisters”, an energetic number with wonderful retro backing harmonies.  I love the beautifully written and performed, “Time for the Sun to Rise”.  McAllister’s vocals ooze heartfelt emotion on this melancholy Sixties soul throwback. 

Van Nuys levels the field with her fiddle playing on “Ride to Get Right (Tribute to Otis Redding and Earl King)”.  Fit for a Louisiana hoedown, this big rollicking number grabs a lot of attention.  I’m taken to church when I hear “Background Singer”, a funky and spirited ode to the stars of the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom. 
McAllister breaks out his harp and gets “Leave a Few Wrong Notes” kicked off in a rocking scrumptious way while Dewan keeps those tasty guitar licks rolling.

McAllister and his Scrappiest Band in the Motherland are one tight ensemble, and Fistful of Gumption leaves me wanting nothing but more.     

       

Lady A - Loved, Blessed & Blues

2016 –  Self-Released

By Phillip Smith; Oct. 2, 2016

When the mood hits for a nice blend of blues, funk & soul , it doesn’t get much better than taking in the intoxicating vocal sounds of Seattle songstress Anita White, aka Lady A.  Her latest album, Loved, Blessed & Stressed is an absolute splendor.  White is joined by Dexter Allen (guitar, bass, piano and backing vocals) and Joey Robinson (drums, and keyboard).     

One doesn’t have to be in a church house to be taken to church.  Title track, “Love, Blessed & Blues” grabs ahold of me and vibrates right to the soul, dousing me in the blues gospel-style.  Lady A gets the adrenalin flowing in the high-energy “Honey Hush (Tribute to Elnora)”. Play, listen and then repeat on this dance-friendly treat.

Lady A breaks out the funk George Clinton/Brides of Funkenstein style on “Take Me Back to Seattle”.  I love the growly bass-line Allen plops down, and the cool little micro-rhythms Robinson adds on the keys.  There’s a sweet Motown feeling imbedded in “Love Calling”, a smooth R&B slow song with beautiful vocals.

Loved Blessed & Blues puts me in my happy place with every listen, leaving me with a huge smile across my face. 

Ebony Jo-Ann - Please Save Your Love For Me

2015 – Blackgold Production Co.

By Phillip Smith; Jan 9, 2016

 

As I listen to the debut album, Please Save Your Love For Me, from Ebony Jo-Ann, I wonder why this phenomenal singer is just now coming into my awareness.  Whatever the reason, I’m so glad this album journeyed my way.  Produced by Danny Kean, who Ebony Jo-Ann first crossed paths with at Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar in New York City, the album delicately delivers some of the most soulful blues I’ve heard.

Ashford & Simpson penned song “Just Rain” begins the music journey with nightclub blues at its best.  The sassy vocal stylings of Ms. Jo-Ann and bluesy guitar licks from Mark Bowers sound so sweet against the stellar horn section.  The Percy Mayfield classic “Send Someone to Love”, is a beautiful piece.  Kean pours a ton of soul into his piano performance as he also joins Ms. Jo-Ann on vocals, making this timeless classic a hip and cool duet.  Another favorite, “Burning World”, preaches enlightenment and empowerment to save our burning world.  Ms. Jo-Ann’s vocals are smooth and powerful as Bowers delivers a smoking guitar performance.   

Ebony Jo-Ann has definitely got it going on with this ten track album, which also boasts splendid covers of blues classics Bumble Bee Slim/Eddie Miller’s “Muddy Water” and Memphis Sheiks’ “Sitting on Top of the World”.  This is about as good as it gets.

For more information on Ebony Jo-Ann, visit her website at:
 http://ejkdkd.wix.com/ebony-jo-ann-dot-com

 

Saun & Starr - Look Closer

2015 – Daptone Records

By Phillip Smith; May 9, 2015

If you’ve listened to the music of Sharon Jones, you most likely have heard Saun & Starr.  Last year, I was fortunate enough to catch Jones in concert, and remember being bowled over by the exquisite harmonies of backing vocalists, Saundra Williams and Starr Duncan- Lowe , aka Saun & Starr.   They made quite the impression then, and they make a tremendous impression now with their stellar performances on their debut album, Look Closer. To top it all off, the Dap-Kings perform on this new record, drizzling their familiar funky soul on every song, in the Daptone style, and I love it. 

Title track, “Look Closer (Can’t You See the Signs?) ushers the listener in with an up-beat dance-friendly rhythm guided by a buttery bassline served up by Bosco Mann. When I hear the bouncy beats and soulful vocals on “Hot Shot”, I’m immediately taken back to the early music of the Jackson 5.  I just love the way this song was written and performed.  Whereas “Another Love Like Mine”, with is restless funk and echo-laced guitar effects, seems to draw in a little more inspiration from the late great Isaac Hayes.    

Every time I hear the infectious grooves of “Big Wheel”, I can’t help but get a big ol’ smile on my face.  Like Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff”, this track takes a soulful approach to calling out tricksters and scoundrels in wolves clothing.  Another fun little track, “Dear Mr. Teddy”, happens to take awkward situations to a new level. This is the kind of song that sounds best on a rainy day.  Saun & Starr close the album out with a light-hearted ditty about communication breakdown, “Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah”. I like the cool little jabs Victor Axelrod lays down on the organ and the Steve Cropper-flavored guitar riffs from Binky Griptite.  This is such a smooth song.

Look Closer is a sheer delight.  It’s the best soul album I've heard this year.