Galliano - The Plot Thickens

Though the grooves are just as tight five years on from the debut Galliano album, The Plot Thickens features the group's expanded eco-political focus on "Twyford Down" and "Long Time Gone."

Elsewhere, "Blood Lines" and "Rise and Fall" chart sing-along acid-jazz.

1. Was This the Time
2. Blood Lines
3. Rise and Fall
4. Twyford Down
5. What Colour Our Flag, Part 1
6. Cold Wind
7. Down in the Gulley
8. Long Time Gone
9. Believe
10. Do You Hear
11. Travels the Road
12. Better All the Time
13. Little One

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Galliano - A Joyful Noise Unto The Creator (repost)

Galliano was a London based acid jazz group, started up in 1988. The group was the first ever signing to Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson's Acid Jazz Records.

A loose collective during its first years, the group comprised Gallagher with raps and turntables, vocalist Valerie Étienne (aka Auntie Val), guitarist Mark Vandergucht, bass player Ernie McKone, drummer Crispin Taylor, keyboard player Mick Talbot (formerly with the Style Council), and contributors Brother Spry, Daddy Smith, and, occasionally, Roy Ayers.

Galliano's first release was the 1989 single "Frederick Lies Still," a tender play on the Superfly anthem "Freddie's Dead" by Curtis Mayfield.
The band's debut full-length, In Pursuit of the 13th Note, followed two years later on Talkin' Loud.

A Joyful Noise Unto the Creator was released in 1992, after which, Galliano received an American contract and released What Colour Our Flag as a basic trainer (the album compiled the best tracks from the first two LPs).

The Plot Thickens, issued in 1995, was the group's proper U.S. debut. A year later, Galliano returned with 4 (Four).


01. Grounation Part 1
02. Jus' Reach
03. Skunk Funk
04. Earth Boots
05. Phantom
06. Jazz-
07. New World Order
08. So Much Confusion
09. Totally Together
10. Golden Flower
11. Prince Of Peace
12. Grounation Part 2

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The Masterplan - Diana Brown & Barrie K Sharpe (video)

Diana Brown & Barrie K Sharpe & The Masterplan. Originally released in 1990, mainly turning out a series of funk & rare groove inspired 12?s and one LP. Plenty of heavyweight house producers re-mixed their tracks including David Morales, Joey Negro & Larry Heard.

Incognito - I've Been Waiting (video)

"I've Been Waiting" is the first release from Incognito's brand new album, Tales From The Beach.

Jhelisa - Friendly Pressure Video

Originally released in 1994 on the album 'Galactica Rush', this track is a classic and was re-released with Sunship remixes in 1998 and covered by Maysa Leak. New remixes from the Amalgamation Of Soundz were released in early 2008.

Liquid Soul - Evolution

No one is going to accuse the '70s of being the decade that time forgot. From soul, funk, and disco to heavy metal, hard rock, new wave, and punk, the '70s left a lasting impression on popular culture -- and when the 21st century rolled around, there were plenty of young Gen-X bands who had a major '70s fixation.

Liquid Soul is among the many '90s/2000s outfits who brings an obsession with '70s African-American culture to the table; on Evolution, the Chicago residents make no secret of their passion for '70s soul, '70s funk, and '70s jazz-funk. Thankfully, Liquid Soul does it better than most of the competition. The songs (some instrumental, some with vocals) are generally memorable, and the punchy, well-oiled horn section is as a tight as a black leather corset -- clearly, Liquid Soul longs for the days when horn bands like Earth, Wind & Fire, the Ohio Players, Parliament/Funkadelic, and Tower of Power were all over black radio.

But as retro-'70s as much of Evolution tends to be, Liquid Soul does offer some acknowledgment of early-2000s tastes. "Soul" and "Nina's in Jail," for example, are inviting rap items, but unlike most hip-hoppers, Liquid Soul's vocalists rap over real instruments instead of sticking to programmed electronic beats. It should be noted that although the Chicagoans' use of rapping on some tracks is meant to demonstrate that they aren't oblivious to 21st century black music, even hip-hop has a '70s connection.

Early East Coast MCs like Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash started performing in the late '70s, although it wasn't until the '80s that hip-hop really exploded commercially and acquired a huge international following. Evolution won't go down in history as trying to reinvent the wheel, but for die-hard fans of '70s black music, this lively CD is well worth obtaining.

1. Action Jackson
2. Sun Ra
3. La La
4. Nina's In Jail
5. I Was Meant To Be Rich
6. Bossa Interlude
7. Mercedes
8. This & That
9. Soul
10. Mean Machine
11. Rage Experiment
12. The Lonely Bull

Liquid Soul's Website

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Refreshed, Reuploaded & Rewound

Due to popular demand, some old posts have been given a new lease of life, if you know what I mean. Check out the comments of the following posts for fresh linkage. Enjoy...

Skunkhour - Skunkhour
Incognito - Bees + Things + Flowers
Incognito - Eleven
Liquid Soul - Here's The Deal
Down To The Bone - Cellar Funk

Ronny Jordan - The Quiet Revolution

Ronny Jordan emerged from the British club jazz explosion of the 1990s seemingly determined to salvage the jazz guitar from middle class cocktail bars and make it hip again. He had a world-wide hit with his jazz-funk cover of "So What" and with The Quiet Revolution had two acid jazz compilation favourites released: "Season For Change", with Gangstarr's lead rapper Guru, and "The Jackal" featuring poetess Dana Bryant. The latter being surprisingly disconcerting for a dance hit: a haunting story of a mysterious ghetto figure it aims at the head as well as the feet.

Throughout the album Jordan's playing is accomplished rather than amazing and is usually to be found propelling amiable jazz-funk tunes. His playing is neat and compact, and if it lacks a little emotional depth it is attractive nonetheless. So maybe the album title is rather misleading, a more accurate one would have been "gentle reform", but then that doesn't quite have the same ring to it. Still, it is well worth your vote.

1. Season for Change
2. In Full Swing
3. Slam in a Jam
4. Mr. Walker
5. Jackal
6. Come With Me
7. Morning After
8. Under Your Spell
9. Tinsel Town Listen
10. Vanston Place (Oo Am)

Ronny Jordan's Website

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Ronny Jordan - The Antidote (re-up)

One of the acid jazz movement's most prominent guitarists, London-born Ronny Jordan is widely credited with returning the instrument to its rightful place as a major force in modern-day jazz; despite outcries from purists, few other artists of his era proved more pivotal in knocking down the long-immutable boundaries of contemporary black music.

The son of a preacher, Jordan's early musical history was rooted in gospel; his first public performances were with gospel groups, but the outbreak of Brit-funk during the early '80s led him to begin exploring other avenues of music, culminating in a fascination with jazz. A self-taught guitarist, his early influences included Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green, and when hip-hop began to take off, Jordan started exploring ways to fuse jazz and rap together.

Ronny signed his first record ideal with Universal Island in July 1991, and started work on his debut release, the Antidote. The rest as they say, is history. Ronny "crossed over" instantly with his first release, the first ever international jazz guitar pop chart hit, Miles Davis’s "So What" which was completed on the same night Miles Davis passed away."The Antidote" became a global smash not just because of "So What" - which became the definitive Acid Jazz tune - but also because of his signature tune "After Hours" - the first and most important smooth jazz guitar classic which introduced Ronny to the US market.

01. Get to Grips
02. Blues Grinder
03. After Hours (The Antidote)
04. See the New
05. So What
06. Show Me (Your Love)
07. Nite Spice
08. Summer Smile
09. Cool and Funky

Ronny Jordan's Website

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