![]() ![]() The start of a tremendous run from Blue Magic – easily one of the greatest harmony groups of the 70s, a quintet we'd place in a rare class with heavy hitters like The Stylistics or The Moments! The album's smooth and sweet, but never slick – perfectly arranged by the great Norman Harris, who makes the vocals sound equally great on mellow tracks and uptempo numbers – setting a new Philly standard with the album, and one that few other groups could match so well! Every piece of the core 70s Philly harmony sound is in place here – from the near-perfect (but wonderfully human) vocals of the group, to the full yet subtle backings by Sigma players who include Vince Montana, Earl Young, Bobby Eli, and Harris himself – and if you've ever needed a record to prove the genius of the east coast harmony sound, this may well be it! Titles include "Look Me Up", "What's Come Over Me", "Tear It Down", "Sideshow", "Stop To Start", "Welcome To The Club", and "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely". Titles include "The Beginning", "Godwilling", "Me Up", "Shiroi", "Motions", "Simese", "Flip Up", and "Hands Tied". ![]() A fantastic debut from guitarist Mansur Brown – a player you might recognize from earlier work with Kamaal Williams – now stepping out on his own, but with production from Williams on his own label too! Brown's got this incredibly open approach to the guitar – a flurry of styles on the strings, with echoes that go back maybe to the great Canadian player Sonny Greenwich, with a few all-over-the-strings echoes of Stanley Jordan – but set to a mode that's complete contemporary London – these moody, airy soundscapes that have lots of abstract elements that provide a nice contrast to the sharper presence of the guitar! Brown definitely solos and has a jazz-based sensibility – but the record's very different than a standard jazz guitar record too – really mixing up modes, a bit like some of the recent Blue Note generation – or maybe like some of Mansur's labelmates on Black Focus too. ![]()
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