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Hand picked records important to the history of Soul Strut.

The Deirdre Wilson Tabac - The Deirdre Wilson Tabac

  • The Deirdre Wilson Tabac

    The Deirdre Wilson Tabac LP (1970)

    RCA

Let me initially defer to rock critic legend Bob Christgau, who wrote of this album back in 1970:

"For all of side one this walks the tightrope between soul music and cocktail jazz, a diverting performance. Side two topples into the martinis, but something of a sleeper anyway. B[Later: C+ ]"

Well, Christgau wasn't exactly taken by the LP but it took diggers to redeem this one and only effort by the Tabac (which I believe means "tobacconist"). The album is hard to describe though Christgau comes close to nailing this - it's a little bit jazzy, soulful and definitely rock influenced. Jazzman's Gerald helped to blow up interest in the LP by comping the B-side's "I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes" - a fantastic, swinging jazz vocal number. Jazzman also comped their cover of "Get Back" which is a funked up, jazzy (not to mention campy) version of the Beatles' classic.  "The Other Side of Life" is an original composition by Tabac drummer Sonny Castella which is a slow, bluesy jam that sounds like Fleetwood Mac with a funk upgrade - nice. "Magic One" is another jazz slinger, giving guitarist Chuck Anderson a chance to let loose. Last but not least is the album's final song, "I Got To You", a pop stepper that sounds somewhere between Nancy Sinatra and Diana Ross. The beauty in this album is how versatile the sound is - no two songs really sound alike.


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