LP REVIES<b, 21<b, 21
<b, 21<b, 21LOLEATA HOLLOWAY<b, 21Loleatta (Aware 73)<b, 21Loleatta Holloway starts off this album on a real mellow tip with the Jazzy The Man I Love, a George Gershwin cover. She then completely changes pace with the hard hitting and upbeat Remember Me. Our Love is better than those two however, with its soulful singing and great back-ups over a slow and easy rhythm. That???s followed by a competent cover of Gene Chandler???s Can I Change My Mind. The second side is just as good with tunes like So Can I with its light orchestration, the fast-paced Mother Of Shame, the light Love Woke Me Up, and the best track, the funky Only A Fool.<b, 21<b, 21
<b, 21<b, 21JANIS JOPLIN<b, 21Pearl (Columbia 71)<b, 21Pearl was Janis Joplin???s second solo album after leaving Big Brother And The Holding Company. The record was released posthumously after her death. I rather prefer her Big Brother days. The record starts off with a drum break before going into the hard-hitting and soulful Rock Or Move Over. That Soul edge comes out again on the slow Cry Baby and Get It While You Can. On the second side Joplin ventures off into Byrds??? territory with the Country-Rock of Me & Bobby McGee and Mercedes Benz. Overall though, nothing really stands out. <b, 21<b, 21
<b, 21<b, 21YUSEF LATEEF<b, 21Gentle Giant (Atlantic 72)<b, 21Yusef Lateef recorded Gentle Giant with the likes of Ray Bryant, Kenny Barron, Sam Jones, Juumba Heath, Eric Gale, Chuck Rainey, and others. Like his later Hush N Thunder LP, Gentle Giant was a departure for Lateef as he ventured into Soul-Jazz. The best songs are the ones by Kenny Barron such as Nubian Lady with its dark and moody backbeat contrasted with the light flute playing of Lateef, and Jungle Plum. There???s a spaced out cover of Hey Jude that grows slowly but surely in volume until it crescendos right before the end at just over 9 minutes. African Song starts off very slow and mellow, but then turns into a solid mid-tempo Soul-Jazz tune. Queen Of The Night is also good.<b, 21<b, 21
<b, 21<b, 21YUSEF LATEEF<b, 21Hush ???N??? Thunder (Atlantic 73)<b, 21Yusef Lateef was known for his light and subtle flute playing. That style is highlighted on this album, but Lateef also get a little frisky as well. He starts off on that first tip with Come Sunday before taking off into a nice soulful Funk beat. After that is the mellow sound of The Hump. The last track Destination Paradise is a very dark and moody piece that has an interesting beginning with bass by Gordine Edwards and keys by Kenny Barron that could be looped up. <b, 21<b, 21
<b, 21<b, 21HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES<b, 21Wake Up Everybody (Philadelphia International 75)<b, 21Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes were a staple of the Philly Soul scene, and this was one of their classic albums with its title track. The record benefits from the sturdy production of Gamble and Huff, and the writing prowess of Whitehead, McFadden, and Carrstarphen on most of the tunes. Wake Up Everybody is a perfect example with its light and uplifting sound. That groove continues with Keep On Lovin You with some rough singing balanced out by the smooth back-up work. There???s also the slow and sultry You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good that features Sharon Paige. There???s another hit on here as well, Don???t Leave Me This Way with its subdued rhythm that eventually picks up and bursts open the tune into a dance track, only to go back down and then rise again.
