With The Drizabone Soul Family we get into the groove on their debut album "All The Way". The album contains eleven tracks including a brand new version of the hit song "Real Love". The band is here to party and you can go "All The Way" with them.

Billy Freeman, one of the original Drizabone duo, is the leader of The Drizabone Soul Family. He is assisted by vocalists Anneka Johnson, Nataya, Kenni Stevens, Denise Gordon, Sh'niece McMenemin and Natalie Valentine. The band has a familiar sound which puts you in a good mood straight ahead.

The doo wop song "I Fell Apart" was the first single of the new album from this British soul band. Never Gonna Stop The Groove, a lovely dance track, is the first single on the album. It takes us back to the times of "And The Beat Goes On" by The Whispers. You just dance and you don't stop. The song "Hit That Spot" will give you the same good vibrations as Shalamar's "I Can Make You Feel Good". You feel your sorrows fade away when you dance on the uptempo groovy track "No More Sorrow". A song with the feel of "I'm So Excited" from the Pointer Sisters is "Love Me Like A Lover Should". Two slower songs of the album are the ballad "Girlfriendz" and the duet "Lovin'U". The track "Don't Break My Heart" is injected with some motown blood and it will make your heart beat faster. If you have missed "Real Love" in the nineties you can catch it up here!(TA)

The new album from Tok Tok Tok is entitled "Revolution 69". It is an excellent ode to the Beatles who came together 50 years ago. There are fifteen Beatles cover songs on this album and a bonus cover track of Michael Jackson's song "Workin'Day And Night".

As we all know by now Tok Tok Tok is an excellent acoustic soul and jazz group from Germany. The founding members of the group are saxophonist Morten Klein and vocalist Tokunbo Akinro. To make their latest album "Revolution 69" they were supported by guest musicians Ritchie Staringer, Jens Gebel and Christian Flohr.

After the opening song "Come Together" we hear a great version of the classic Beatles tune "We Can Work It Out". The extra stereo effect of Tokunbo's voice on "Taxman" when she does the backing vocals gives the song something extra. Very great is the Toots and The Maytals kind of soul reaggae beat in "Get Back". Also the Fender Rhodes in this song are swinging. Really intimate and sensitve is the rendition of "Dear Prudence" by Tokunbo. What a voice lady! Happy and romantic is "I Will". It is a lovely and sunny feel good song. The most jazzy song on "Revolution 69" might be "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite". Morten Klein's saxophones have soul. It is fantastic to hear the acapella opening from the track "Help!" and to listen to the instruments coming in later on. The true Beatles atmosphere strengthened with the soul music feeling from the sixties you will discover in the groovy track "Run For Your Life". A sweet and lovely track is "I Follow The Sun". It feels good to hear the mouth drums from Morten on the catchy song "Workin'Day And Night".(TA)

It is always a great pleasure to hear Lou Rawls sing. Now you can double your pleasure with two of Lou Rawls' classic albums on one CD. The two albums are "Now Is The Time" and "Close Company" with a total of nineteen fine songs.

Lou Rawls was a great American jazz, soul and blues singer with one of the most distinctive voices in the music business. He had a great voice that was smooth, dark, warm, sexy and very convincing. He was of the calibre Frank Sinatra. Some great and well known songs of Lou Rawls are "Lady Love" and "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine".

On the great classic album "Now Is The Time: Close Company" you will find Lou Rawls in company of some great musicians. Luther Vandross and The Jones Girls are doing background vocals on some of the tracks. Thom Bell, Deniece Williams, Reggie Lucas, Dexter Wansel, Walter Lee Orange and David Porter are some of the songwriters on the album. This company of musicians is a guarantee for high quality songs that you will enjoy to the fullest. The music is from the eighties so you will find a dance song on both of the albums. You will also find magnificent ballads like the wonderful song "This Love" and the sensual "Close Company" on the CD. It is so great to hear the crooner Lou Rawls having pleasure in this song. Lou Rawls was a singer who could equally shine singing with a big orchestra or in a small intimate place. The orchestration is just magic in the song "The Lady In My Life" while the intimacy shines from "This Love". A spectacular intro you will find in "Watch Your Back" a song written by Thom Bell and Denice Williams. A very sweet Steely Dan style song is "In The Middle Of The Night". There is so much more beauty to find on "Now Is The Time: Close Company" from the late and great Lou Rawls(TA)

Toni Braxton has found her breath again on her new album "Pulse". On the eleven songs of the UK edition of "Pulse" we recognize the Toni Braxton that we used to know. Her deep voice, her eroctic and deliberate gasping for breath are the ingredients of her style which have returned on "Pulse".

The best male company on this album is Trey Songz who supports Toni in the song "Yesterday". They make a good match. A bad match is her singing partner Sean Paul on the track "Looking At Me". Songs like this have been sung a thousand times and it is getting boring.

A track that sounds great is the country and western influenced song "If I Had To Wait". The lust and eroticism in "Hands Tied" have already proven their success. A romantic song is "Woman(Not Enough)" but it is not as hot as "He Wasn't Man Enough For Me" from the album "The Heat" from the year 2000. Wardrobe is an uplifting song and very sweet for those who are experiencing the sensation of a new love affair. A very passionate song and also a song full of heroism is "Hero" that feels like coming straight from the heart. The dance track on the album is "Make My Heart". The song "No Way" has the sensitivity that we also know from a singer like Tracey Chapman. Why Won't you Love Me is the tear jerker on the album "Pulse" and at the same time a dreamy song.(TA)

If it is not the music it might be the cover of the album "New Amerykah Part Two Return Of The Ankh" from Erykah Badu that will draw your attention. In the surrealistic drawing amidst the flowers you will discover Erykah's three children. Also Erykah's nude video shoot in the streets of Dallas for the Window Seat video gathered much publicity.

New Amerykah Part Two Return Of The Ankh is not as steamy as New Amerykah Part One (4th World War). The album New Amerykah Part Two is filled with nine love songs and two interludes which results in eleven tracks. It will take you ten minutes and twenty four seconds to listen to the last track "Out Of Mind, Just in Time". This song has a jazzy start reminding you of Billie Holiday. After a few minutes it turns into an underground and later even into a spacey kind of sound with Erykah singing in a mellow mood.

The first track "20 Feet Tall" sounds almost acapella because we only hear keyboards on it and no percussion. That is different in Window Seat where we directly step into the beat and move on. Turn Me Away is a nice funky track but even funkier and smooth is "Gone Baby Don't Be Long". The most soulful track is "Umm Hmm" partly because of the use of the sample from "Take Some Time" by Ndugu & The Chocolate Jam Co. Erykah Badu brings Hip Hop in the song "Love" which is an ode to Dilla. More Hip Hop beats you will hear in "Fall In Love (Your Funeral)" that might remind you of the D'Angelo period. The subtitle "Your Funeral" sounds stressful but nevertheless there is plenty of humour in this song.(TA)

From the moment you put on the record it will be clear that you are listening to excellent musicians. It is a fest to hear the sounds of real instruments like the organ, the violins, the saxophones, the trumpets and vibraphone making real music. This soul party is completed by the seasoned voice of Sharon Jones and her background vocalists.

The first track "The Game Gets Old" takes us right back to the sound of the heydays of Stax Records in the sixties and early seventies. It is a fresh song but so full of nostalgic memories. Sharon Jones shows some love for Etta James when she almost puts you on the wrong foot in "I Learned The Hard Way". In this song the connoisseur will discover a famous fragment from Etta James' sublime rendition of "I'd Rather Go Blind". The latin soul in "Better Things" urges you to do the boogaloo. Another reminder of how sweet it can be is the instrumental "The Reason" where Junior walker And The All Stars are shining through. The organ in the magnificent tracks "Window Shopping" and "I'll Be True" is the icing on the cake. The late godfather of soul James Brown would be very pleased if he could have heared "If You Call". Otis Redding would verify with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings if the intro from "Mama Don't Like My Man" comes from "I Got Dreams To Remember".(TA)

On the album "Avery Sunshine" we hear no fairy tales but we hear songs about our own daily life. These songs are so powerful and so very recognizable that they will inmmediately seize your mind. They will make you realize that you have found a soulmate in Avery with who you can share rain or shine.

The song "All In My Head" is an excellent song about our own imagination and how it can run away with us. A strong song reflecting the time we live in is "Today". The celebration of life we enjoy in the track "The Most" featuring Roy Ayers. A great song to put all your shame apart is "Ugly Part Of Me". We all have that dark side and that is good to know. On the other hand we can all shine like Avery Sunshine in "I Got Sunshine", that is the bright side of life. A reminder of how sweet love can be we will find in the soulful song "Pinin'". In "Blessin'Me" we notice that Avery has her roots in gospel. One of the most wonderful love songs you will lately hear is entitled "Like This".(TA)

The album starts off in a mid tempo groove with the very powerful love song entitled "Only One". A song with an acid jazz flavour where it seems like you hear some violins and flutes is "Hurts Like Hell". Sweet R&B to lick your fingers off is brought to you in the duet with Darien called "All In Me".

Angela Johnson has some rock'n soul songs on her album "It's Personal" as well. The rock guitars in the funky and very catchy song "Indie In Me" will appeal to more than only soul music fans. The up-tempo title track shows some love for jazz music and the great band Earth Wind and Fire. In the steamy song "Better" Angela Johnson goes full speed ahead and she definitely will bring you into ecstasy. Some how some way although she has her own identity Angela might remind you of the way in which Chaka Khan sings. Hopefully the majority of the children have a mother who shows them love as in the song "For You". A lovely thing in music is that it can reflect your reality and that is exactly what happens in "Days". The message in "Be Myself" is so beautiful because by being yourself you can shine like a star.(TA)

Dira has a nice voice that can easily compete with a lot of singers world wide. She sounds international. Her producer Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick has carefully selected the songs where Dira's voice sounds like the best. In a cool style accompanied by Incognito Dira is at her strongest is some beautiful love ballads.

However with the uptempo disco song "Bring It On" Dira will surely get you to the dance floor. Another sweet funky track is "Get Through To You" where Dira's soulful voice really comes through to you. Very intimate and sensitive is "Hand On Your Heart" in the way of a Lionel Richie piano song. It is no wonder that Dira performed at the Java Jazz Festival if you hear how she sings "Won't You Come With Me" in bossanova style. Another song where Dira will make you dance is the floor filler "No More Tears". A qualitity of good singers is that they feel comfortable in what they sing. Listening to Dira you feel that she really is at ease in singing her songs fast or slow. It is also nice that a girl from the Indonesian Archipelago could sing a duet with British mister soul Omar. There is really "Something About That Girl".(TA)

In case you don't know, Adriana Evans is blessed with a beautiful and crystal clear voice. On the first half of the album Adriana takes the style she has developed with Dred Scott to a higher level. It is relaxed soulful music with sophisticated hip-hop sounds with a jazzy undertone.

However on the first track entitled "Waiting" we go back to the roots of soul music. The background vocals and the George Benson guitar riffs in "Suddenly" make you dream away. The funky song "Never Thought" will definitely take you to higher grounds. New ways in music are opening up here. "Love Me On The One" is another jewel on the album "Walking In The Night". With "Let You Get Away" Adriana Evans brings back the spirit of the great soul divas. You will think of Jean Knight's Mr. Big Stuff when you hear the song "Weatherman". Another classic that might come to your mind when you listen to "Sooner Or Later" is "I'm Your Puppet" from James and Bobby Purify. The sun surely comes through in "El Sol" where you can put into practice your salsa steps. That thirteen can be a lucky number you will find out in "Set In Stone" with its deep soulful groove and the heavenly sound of the organ. Is it a Hammond.(TA)

Marilyn Ashford Brown opens the album with a groovy song that remind us of the better sounds from the eighties. Her soulful dance track "I've Got A Feeling" is critical towards society and positive at the same time because Obama is in the house and Change will come. Another songstress Inobe has the funk in "Front Porch" while Ms. Monique a lá Millie Jackson brings you sensuality.

Speaking about sensuality Cornelius MD will remind you of Barry "Wicked" White with his dark and sexy voice when he sings "Step Baby". A big dose of soul music is brought to you by Governor in "Decisions". His vocals are coming from deep inside and are full of emotions. You can compare them a bit with those from The O'Jays in the song "I Love Music". If we go on comparing voices the song "Wishin'" from Da Wonda Twinz Ft. Redd Soul feels more like a Chi-lites song.

Staring with Orly we go to the more jazzy and soulful section on "The Contemporay Soul Songbook volume 2". Orly will definitely be one of your favourites with the soulful delivery she gives away in "Sit Back". Another great voice is that of Asanda Bam in "Brand New Day". She is our new South African hummingbird! Jazzy, soulful and funky is Gemma Genazzano who together with Marlon Saunders brings you great songs on her debut album "Si Me Quieres".It's a great album. One of those great songs from Gemma Genazanno is "Take Me Away". Last but not least is Erin Hunt with her sunny mix of bossa nova and latin rhythms in "If You Believe In Me". Why not?(TA)

Soldier of love is an album with songs where the lyrics are important to listen to. The music although mostly quiet is sometimes very energetic with the roaring guitars. Love is the theme of the album and it is celebrated and lamented.

The first song "The Moon And The Sky" gives you the feeling of longing for a lost love, a lamentation. In "Soldier Of Love" you will get convinced that love will always come around, you have no reason to panic. Listening to these songs you will notice that Sade has found a new sound to their music. It is not as smooth as we used to hear in a song like "Smooth Operator". It is tougher. Still a bit of the old Sade comes back in the beautiful track "Long Hard Road". Some kind of loversrock you will find in "Babyfather". A song that will get to you right from the start is "In Another Time". It has that classic soul feeling which even starts before Sade Adu begins to sing. Another favourite of you might become "Skin" with it's underlying hiphop-beat.(TA)

Most of the songs are uptempo and the slower songs you will find towards end of the album. The opening song which is co-production by Akon has a spectacular beat. It is exciting. The One featuring Drake is exciting too with the dancehall rhythm. The dance vibrations continue in the songs "Said and Done" produced by Ryan Leslie, Good Love featuring T.I. and they really culminate in the party song "I Feel Good".

Almost every song Mary J Blige sings sounds good. The challenge for producers must be to give her the best songs and not the simple sing alongs. The song "I AM" is a nice uptempo love song and love from the hood Mary finds with Trey Songz in "Hood Love". Just like the bedroom the kitchen is known as a place for love affairs to happen. The message from Shirley Brown in "Woman To Woman" is the same message that Mary J Blige sends from the "Kitchen". The sweetest ballad on "Stronger withEach Tear" is "In The Morning". The crooners have to listen to "I can See In Color".(TA)