by Jackie Shane
Jackie Shane - Any Other Way (PBS Feature Record)
Finally a compilation of all of Jackie Shane’s known recordings on 2 LPs (or 2 CDs if that’s your bag): both sides of the six studio-recorded singles on one disc and the live album recorded at Toronoto’s Saphire Tavern in 1967 on the other. As an added bonus, the live disc also includes 5 extra tracks that didn’t appear on the original album.
This compilation has been put together by the brilliant Numero Group out of Chicago and if you’ve ever seen any of their previous sets, you’ll know they leave absolutely no stone unturned in their quest for the ‘compleat’ article. The set includes an 80-page book with extensive notes by esteemed Southern Soul author and historian Rob Bowman and never-before-seen photos and clippings from Jackie’s own collection.
Many will talk about the ‘life of’ and the transition from Little Jackie Shane to Miss Jackie Shane, but the recorded performances speak for themselves. Until now Jackie has remained somewhat of a secret amoungst the initiated. Hopefully, now, many more can discover the talents and the story of Jackie Shane.
Review from Pierre Baroni (Soul Groove '66).
Kelela - Take Me Apart (featured on The Breakfast Spread)
Kelela's debut album emerges as an epic portrait of an artist spanning the past and future of R&B. In her hands, however, the genre knows no boundaries and so Take Me Apart exists as an absolutely singular and fearless addition to a canon of recent classics. From her very earliest work, honesty and vulnerability have been cornerstones of Kelela's art - even when clad in the armour of the avant-garde electronics she so deftly inhabits - and Take Me Apart sees her double down on both the emotional intensity and resonance of her message as well as the sonic seeking she is renowned for.
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