Gene Dunlap – It’s Just The Way I Feel / Party In Me CD (Expansion)

“It’s Just The Way I Feel” rare on CD, “Party In Me” never before on CD and released here for the first time from the original master tapes.

Includes “It’s Just The Way I Feel” (sampled by 14Kt on “Blessed”), “Before You Break My Heart” (sampled by Michita feat. Haliro on “12 Passport”), “Party In Me” (sampled by both Poka and Duck Sauce on tracks of the same name) and “This One On Me (sampled by Cadillac on “Make You Feel”)

In a Detroit classroom, two budding musicians with a love of soul and jazz became acquainted, they were guitarist Earl Klugh and drummer Gene Dunlap In 1978 Earl was a featured artist for Blue Note on an album “Blue Note Meets The L.A. Philharmonic” supported by Gene on drums. As Earl became more established as a solo performer, Gene played for him on professional dates and the affiliation continued through Earl’s solo recordings with United Artists and Liberty, part of the Capitol Records family of labels. It was Earl who took Gene to Capitol in 1981 for the two albums presented here.

“It’s Just The Way I Feel” and “The Party In Me” come from 1981, both albums ooze the quality of the period and with the benefit of Gene’s contributions in the songwriting came the classic recordings on both. Featured vocalists include The Ridgeway Sisters (formerly Sweet Cream) and Philippe Wynne (Detroit Spinners) while also featured on the sessions are Earl’s keyboard player Mickie Roquemore, and a guitarist for Earth Wind & Fire, and other significant artists of the period, Greg Moore. In fact Greg and Gene first recorded together in 1979 for Roy Ayers on his album “Fever”, the same year Gene also played drums for Roy on “Don’t Stop The Feeling”. Here for Gene at Capitol, saxophonist Dave McMurray and percussionist Steve Thornton add their magic touches to the polished, often sensual soul and jazz from the period to be celebrated indefinitely with these albums.  -Expansion