» Музыка в lossless форматах (без потерь)

Never let it be said that George Clinton wasn't a busy man in the late '70s. In addition to leading Parliament and Funkadelic (which were essentially the same band with two different names), Clinton produced or co-produced Bootsy's Rubber Band, the Brides of Funkenstein, the Horny Horns, and Parlet. In 1978, he produced Parlet's debut album, Pleasure Principle, which is a solid P-Funk-oriented outing, even though it isn't the female trio's best album. This LP finds the Jeanette Washington/Debbie Wright/Mallia Franklin edition of Parlet joined by a lot of familiar P-Funk faces, including Bootsy Collins on drums, Bernie Worrell on keyboards and Fred Wesley on trombone. Not surprisingly, infectious tracks like "Cookie Jar" and "Love Amnesia" are very Clinton-sounding. But Pleasure Principle is far from predictable. Clinton opts for variety, producing everything from the moody "Misunderstanding" and the sentimental northern soul ballad "Mr. Melody Man" (which would not have been out of place on a Love Unlimited or Three Degrees album) to more disco-minded offerings such as "Are You Dreaming?" and the title song. For the most part, Clinton wasn't a disco artist -- hardcore funk was his primary focus in the 1970s -- but these club-friendly tunes successfully combine P-Funk with disco gloss. "Are You Dreaming?" even has a bit of a Euro-disco outlook, which wasn't the sort of thing that one expected from Clinton in the late '70s. But then, the leader of Parliament/Funkadelic wanted to stretch himself on this LP -- and he did. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

After a quarter of a century in the Warner Bros. camp and five years on the recording sidelines, Randy Crawford drew a circle back to the beginning, reuniting with keyboardist Joe Sample. In turn, the old Crusader put together a genuinely distinguished rhythm section, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Steve Gadd, and called upon Tommy LiPuma to produce the disc. That combination ought to guarantee a certain floor of competence from the get-go -- and it's great to report that this disc always rises above it, sometimes considerably above it. By this time, both Crawford and Sample were established veterans -- and the music they make here seems to come so easily from within, with only minimal backing and nothing getting in their way. Gadd puts out a propulsive beat on brushes that pushes the title track along just fine -- and his work on "See Line Woman" and "Last Night at Danceland" generates something resembling the irresistible Crusaders groove, giving Sample something to trip lightly and soulfully through. Every track seems to change style with a smooth movement of the clutch -- the slinky R&B funk of "Lovetown," the gentle Latin beat of "Rio de Janeiro Blue," the pure mainstream piano trio jazz of "But Beautiful," the heavy blues atmosphere of "Tell Me More and More and Then Some," a trip back to the 1960s' Top 40 with "Everybody's Talking" (dig Randy's fervent high note that Harry Nilsson once hit in falsetto). A very gratifying release -- considering how tempting it would have been to crank this out on autopilot. ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide


PERSONNEL
Joe Sample - Piano
Randy Crawford - Vocals
Christian McBride - Bass
Anthony Wilson - Guitar
Steve Gadd - Drums
Ray Parker, Jr. - Guitar
Dean Parks - Guitar
Luis Quintero - Percussion

There are certain "givens" when purchasing a Fourplay album. Smooth, non-threatening, pop and R&B-inflected, groovy contemporary jazz. Mainly instrumentals with at least one vocal track contributed by a big-name artist and one or more other tracks with added vocal flavorings, usually in the form of rhythmic chanting. A clean, slick recording that is both polished and crisp. Bob James (piano), Nathan East (bass), Larry Carlton (guitar), and Harvey Mason (drums) have made their programmatic approach an art form, copied by countless contemporary jazz artists and envied by rival A&R types hoping to sell as many records as has this talented quartet (with either Lee Ritenour or Larry Carlton in the guitar chair). With respect to the basic Fourplay program, Yes, Please! does not disappoint. Yet, this album is a touch softer than previous releases and significantly more seductive, thus living up to the "fourplay/foreplay" double entendre. "Robo Bop" pulses to the repeated motif sounded in East's bass. "Blues Force" is a smoky temptress, with Carlton's guitar adding to the drama. James' keyboard fills romance "Go With Your Heart." "A Little Fourplay" is carried by guest artist Sheree's sexy vocals, Mason's drums, and some added R&B electronic kick in the mix. Those looking to set an after-hours mood with the one they love will say "yes, please" to this album. ~ Brian Bartolini, All Music Guide


FOURPLAY
Nathan East - Bass, Vocals
Bob James - Piano
Larry Carlton - Guitar
Harvey Mason - Drums

Ken Freeman - Synthesizer

Son of Louisiana bluesman Raful Neal, young Kenny had some big shoes to fill, but he's been more than up to the task. He plays bass, guitar, trumpet, piano and guitar, and worked in Toronto with the Downchild Blues Band as well as with his siblings in the Neal Brothers Band before returning to Louisiana in 1987 to cut his debut, Bio on the Bayou. Since then Neal has continued to blend his swampy roots with soul and R&B to put his own contemporary spin on the blues. Let Life Flow finds the 50-year-old bluesman in fine voice delivering four originals and seven covers. Neal accents "Louisiana Stew" with a long, jaunty, country flavored harp solo, while on "Fly Away" he drops a bit of sage spiritual advice into the mix. His Memphis-style guitar fills accent the tune, but it's his gospel drenched vocals that standout. The title track has a soulful '70s feel, with Neal's Al Green influenced vocal, and subtle horn accents from Joe Campbell's trumpet and LeRoy Harper's sax. "Since I Met You Baby," the Ivory Joe Hunter chestnut gets taken back to its blues roots by Neal's gritty delivery. His mellow guitar solo, full of slow bent notes and full round tones complement Lucky Peterson's rolling piano work. "It Don't Make Sense, You Can't Make Peace," a Willie Dixon tune, has a swampy groove with a slight Latin tinge, mournful backing vocals, and Neal's sanctified lead vocal. "Another Man's Cologne" tells a familiar story of infidelity. Neal's sneering, slightly bemused vocal and stinging guitar tell the sad story to a funky backbeat. "You've Got to Hurt Before You Heal," another simmering slow blues, lets Neal show off his soulful vocal style with Peterson supplying sanctified organ work. Neal is in fine voice throughout and his understated bluesy guitar works fine, but nothing here really catches fire. ~ j. poet, All Music Guide