Lady Blackbird- Black Acid Soul  Lady Blackbird’s Black Acid Soul does not fit neatly into any one genre. Yes, the artist (real name: Marley Munroe out of Los Angeles) chose a famous Nina Simone song as her professional moniker, title of a  single and the opening track of her album, Black Acid Soul. Munroe is not posing as a modern-day incarnation of the great songstress and civil rights activist; instead, her influences are wider and deeper and even more far ranging—she even covers a James Gang tune from Yer Album! (Man, I loved the early James Gang stuff for the pure funk of it,... Read More

Roots- (Barney Rachabane)   Roots self-titled album, featuring Barney Rachabane, is somewhat obscure here in the States despite the international recognition accorded Mr. Rachabane for his work with Paul Simon and his legendary status in South Africa as a horn player of the first order.  Roots was a group formed by Rachabane and treated as a one and done, although the group did issue one other album under the Roots moniker. Rachabane is probably best known for his touring in support of the Graceland album for two decades. Yet his musical roots extend far deeper, as one of the living... Read More

Lou Bond- self-titled  Lou Bond is an under the radar soul man whose self- titled album is a mixture of deep period soul with tinges of pop, folk and more than a few surprise covers—not exactly a mainstream soul sound. The Lou Bond album apparently got lost in the house of Stax, overshadowed by the bigger name crooners who fit more into the mold. But with the passage of time, and a sample from the album on an Outkast record, among others who tapped into the soul of this album, Lou Bond can now be appreciated for what it is. Reissued by Light in the Attic (LITA) in 2010, I found a sealed... Read More