The Salsoul Orchestra - The Salsoul Orchestra (1975)

This 1975 album introduced to the world to the slick yet groovy instrumental stylings of the Salsoul Orchestra, a group of Philadelphia session musicians spearheaded by vibes player Vincent Montana. Since many of the musicians (including Montana) also participated in the recordings of MFSB, it's not a big surprise that The Salsoul Orchestra explores a similar vein of orchestral soul. The difference between the two is that the Salsoul Orchestra explores a more Latin-oriented style with a heavy emphasis on congas and other forms of exotic percussion. This style is neatly encapsulated in the lead-off track "Salsoul Hustle," which is built on a contrast between a dreamy, string-led melody and a series of funky instrumental breakdowns spiced with conga tattoos. Other highlights in this style include "You're Just The Right Size," which layers sweet orchestrations and a female chorus cooing the title chant over a synthesizer-layered groove while "Salsoul Rainbow" glides forth on a fusillade of congas and wah-wah guitar riffs. On the downside, The Salsoul Orchestra occasionally allows their slickness to overpower their r&b backbone and the result is disco-flavored easy listening like "Tangerine" and "Love Letters." Another problem is the album's highlights, as funky as they are, often have a cookie-cutter feel to them: for instance, "Salsoul Hustle" and "Tale Of Three Cities" are built on strikingly similar arrangements that hinge on the contrast between string-led flights on fancy and funky grooves from the rhythm section. Despite these shortcomings, The Salsoul Orchestra shapes up as a solid disco album that will entertain anyone who enjoys orchestral soul. AMG - by Donald A. Guarisco.

Tracks:

1. Salsoul Hustle

2. Get Happy

3. Chicago Bus Stop

4. You're Just the Right Size

5. Tangerine

6. Tale of Three Cities

7. Salsoul Rainbow

8. Love Letters

Curtis Mayfield - Curtis Live! (1971)

It's a sign of just how high a peak of musical and commercial success Curtis Mayfield had ascended that he could release two live albums within two years of each other, with two completely different sounds and repertories, and get well-deserved top sellers out of both. Curtis/Live! is, simply, one of the greatest concert albums ever cut on a soul artist, and one of the legendary live albums of all time. Cut in January of 1971 during four nights at the Bitter End (then Greenwich Village's leading music venue) in New York, the resulting double LP transcended any expectations in both its programming and execution -- Mayfield performed numbers off of the Curtis album ("Don't Worry If There's a Hell Below We're All Going to Go"), as well as exciting and urgent new versions of songs originally performed by the Impressions ("We're a Winner," "People Get Ready," "Gypsy Woman"), plus a very moving R&B version of "We've Only Just Begun." This is all beautifully stripped-down work by a quintet consisting of Mayfield (vocals, guitar), Craig McMullen (guitar), Tyrone McCullen (drums), "Master" Henry Gibson (percussion), and Joseph "Lucky" Scott (bass) -- a solid, intense performance, with quietly elegant guitar playing against a rock-solid rhythm section, as Impressions hits are rethought and reconfigured in a new context, and Mayfield's early solo repertory comes to life in newer, longer live versions. The second disc, Curtis In Chicago, consists of a different kind of show, a dream concert celebrating Mayfield's musical history and Curtom Records for which one is grateful the audio-tape machines were running properly (there was a public-television broadcast of the show, under the same name, that would be a choice video release today). Mayfield, the current Impressions, the original Impressions (including Jerry Butler), the successful mid-'60s version of the group; Gene Chandler (reworking "Duke of Earl"); and Leroy Hutson get to do their best songs, this time in a kind of big-band soul setting backed by the Curtom Rhythm Section augmented by the presence of Phil Upchurch. The sound is excellent on both discs, and the annotation is very thorough on this reissue. The British import from Sequel is currently the only way to get either of these albums on CD, and is a bargain. AMG - by Bruce Eder

Tracks

1. Mighty Mighty
2. I Plan to Stay a Believer
3. We're a Winner
4. Rap
5. We've Only Just Begun
6. People Get Ready
7. Rap
8. Stare and Stare
9. Check Out Your Mind
10. Gypsy Woman
11. The Makings of You
12. Rap
13. We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue
14. (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go
15. Stone Junkie
16. Superfly
17. Mighty Mighty