Chess Uptown Soul – Various Artists CD (Kent)

Code: CDKEND140

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01 The Entertainer – Tony Clarke
02 Love Ain’t Nothin’ – Johnny Nash
03 Jerk And Twine – Jackie Ross
04 Oh What A Feeling – James Phelps
05 It Ain’t No Big Thing – The Radiants
06 Sitting In The Park – Billy Stewart
07 Temptation ‘Bout To Get Me – The Knight Brothers
08 Everything To Me – Donnie Elbert
09 Nothing But You – The Chessmen
10 I Won’t Need You – Gene Chandler
11 Wear It On Our Face – The Dells
12 Do You Wanta Go – Andy Mack
13 Pushover – Etta James
14 Believe In Me – Little Milton
15 Searching For My Love – Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces
16 I Had A Talk With My Man – Mitty Collier
17 I Believe She Will – Eddie & Ernie
18 So Much Love – Maurice & Mac
19 Hurt So Bad – Ramsey Lewis
20 Here You Come Running – Sugar Pie Desanto
21 Mama Didn’t Lie- Jan Bradley
22 Go Away Little Boy – Marlena Shaw
23 The Soul Of A Man – Fontella Bass
24 Two In The Morning – Spooner’s Crowd

Weight 120 g
Title

Chess Uptown Soul

Artist

Various Artists

Label

Format

Genre

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Release Year

Condition

Also Chicago-based, the Chess group of labels included at various times Aristocrat, Argo and Cadet. Phil and Len Chess built up their label on the success of their roster of hard-hitting blues artists like Muddy Waters, Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson, but they dabbled in many forms of music including soul. Kent Records’ other release this month, Chess Uptown Soul, explores their 60s soul output. However, as the astute among you will have gathered from its title, this isn’t an album of stompin’ dance toons: no Landslide or In Orbit here. As compiler Ady Croasdell (What him again? Does this man ever sleep?) puts it, “Think sophisticated. Think subtle. Think Slick”.

After the exhilarating Saturday night soul of the OKeh set, here’s a 24-tracker ideal for a Sunday morning: snuggle down in your armchair, attempt to do the Telegraph crossword and let the soul waves lap comfortably against your feet. Sophisticated? Yes indeedy, check out Marlena Shaw’s jazz-tinged slant on Go Away Little Boy. Subtle? Absolutely: Marvel at Spooner’s Crowd as they wittily create a sound picture of a whole evening at a hip club in the 2 minutes and 9 seconds of Two In The Morning. Slick? Sho’nuff-.-gasp at The Radiants’ inch-perfect harmonies on Ain’t No Big Thing. This uptown festival includes such soul beats as Jan Bradley’s charmingly naive Mama Didn’t Lie, Etta James’ assertive Pushover, the Knight Brothers’ gospel-flavoured Temptation Bout To Get Me and Mitty Collier’s affecting I Had A Talk With My Man. There’s a touch of the blues from Johnny Nash and a touch of jazz from Ramsey Lewis. It all adds up to a soul-satisfying Sunday morning’s listening. But wait: Jackie Ross’ Jerk And Twine, one of the first batch of releases on the UK Chess label back in ’65, has an irresistible finger snapping beat, and she’s going on about good timing hips are rocking…the build-up to next Saturday night starts here!  – Ace Records

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