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: 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.
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