Jai Alai Vinyl & CDs

Review: Jai Alai's latest release brings forth a collection of forgotten vinyl tracks that have been previously unreleased on 7" format or limited to CD-only albums. Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, to give him his full name, was a pivotal figure in jazz history and a prominent trumpeter and flugelhorn player after his stint with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the mid-50s. Collaborating with jazz icons like John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, and Sonny Rollins, Byrd's journey evolved into experimenting with jazz fusion, African rhythms, and r&b by the late 60s. His transformative fusion work, notably with the Blackbyrds, reshaped the jazz-funk landscape, paving the way for dance jazz on disco floors and becoming a wellspring for hip-hop samples. These are two of his many great moments of soul-drenched goodness.

Review: Jai Alai is only a relatively young label but its first 11 releases have all been of great quality. This new one features a pair of pearlers from Jaheim Hoagland, a US r&b singer with some 480 odd credits to his name dating from the year 2000 onwards and including several solid albums. 'Just In Case' has a classic soul sound with buttery smooth vocals and plenty of male yearning over sophisticated production. On the flipside is 'Diamond In Da Ruff' which rides a nice deep hip hop beat and has great interplay between vocalists as a tender flute adds further depth to a real smoocher of a song.

Review: Birmingham, Alabama artist David Sea was the front man for his family's gospel outfit The Question Marks in 1970. He had an extraordinary voice and that is very much front and centre on this new 7" from Jai Alai. It takes two of his most tremendous tunes from his Groove Mission album in 1996 with 'Back In The Day' and 'Back In Love Again' both featuring. The former is a lung-busting number full of raw yearning and lots of nostalgia before some hip hop breaks cut up the midsection, then the flipside is a nice bit of r&b with smooth grooves and lush pianos next to his trademark buttery vocals.

Review: A short name hides a long story - Detroit-born Chad Hughs graduated from the same high school as Diana Ross, going onto become a multi-talented musician as well as a teacher and composer. The fourth release from cd exclusive vinyl pressers Jai Alai, collectors can now own this unique 7" containing two completely different sides of Sir Wick from his two albums. A side's title track 'Seal My Heart' contains the vocal talents of Sedalia Marie, with layered vocals and a baseline that makes this pure soul song feel deeply cinematic. The B side has been decades in the making, selected from a fully orchestrated musical in the works since 1996, finally being recorded and completed in 2017. These two tracks are deeply sentimental ditties of doting young love, and now two rare soul ballads from a musical luminary are available for the first time on a 45. What better soundtrack to date night than these?

Review: Johnnie Taylor never really wrote any of his own music and he couldn't play any instrument particularly well but that hasn't stopped him becoming known as a rather accomplished soul artist. He penned an incredible 30 odd albums and more than 120 singles as a leading male vocalist in the sixties and works dunder names like 'Blues Wailer' and the 'Philosopher Of Soul'. He was a doo-wop group member initially back in the 50s but by the mid-sixties he was working with Stax as a blues artist. 'Let's Get Back On' on the A-side here is from his 1999 album Gotta Get The Groove back and is backed with a beautiful ballad from the legendary Bobby 'Blue' Bland.

Review: Bilbao's Soul4Real Records' subsidiary label celebrates its first compilation after delivering 14 singles in three years. The album kicks off with the rare 12" mix of Samuel Jonathan Johnson's wonderful 'You' and includes previously unreleased gems from Glenn Jones, Earth, Wind & Fire and Gladys Knight & The Pips. Highlights include Glenn's 'Share My Love' and Gladys's timeless 'How Deep Is Your Love' as well as EWF's 'Club Foot,' all of which were omitted from their original albums. Side two features Phyllis Hyman's 'Forever With You' and downtempo classics like Tyrone Davis's 'Never Stopped Loving You' and The Dells' 'Somebody's Gotta Move' round out an exceptional compilation.

Review: Raised on gospel in Mobile, Alabama, Lynn White's path to soul stardom began in Ike Darby's record store, where her habit of singing along to the songs that boomed from the speakers spiralled into a recording deal, not to mention eventual marriage with the store owner. Her 1978 debut on Darby wove a string of local releases, but it was her smouldering 1982 single 'I Don't Ever Wanna See Your Face Again' that caught the attention of Memphis soul legend Willie Mitchell. Signing to Waylo, White spent the 80s carving out a distinctive place in Southern soul, with highlights like the modern soul favourite 'See You Later Bye'. This reissue brings together two standout tracks from her early 90s period: the Lanier & Co. assist 'I Don't Know Why' and a tender cover of George Jackson's 'The New Me'.