OF TRUTH AND SOUL

Ghetto Brothers: The Ghetto Brothers Power
From The Ghetto Brothers Power/I Saw A Tear 7” (Truth And Soul, 2009)

Truth And Soul has put out its fair share of excellent releases already this year. A couple of them have paid homage to yesteryear's stars (Isaac Hayes and the Wu-Tang Clan) and others have been just as soulful in their own right such as the recent Lee Fields album, “My World.”

Sometimes, though, things come in smaller doses just to give you that quick fix. The Ghetto Brothers 45 shows 2 sides of the band – a tender, if somewhat uninspired ballad in “I Saw A Tear,” with the hook sounding a bit like Stevie's “I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer” – and an uptempo, unabashed street party that was somehow written into wax grooves.

Right from the start, you get that early '70s guitar workout just before the bassist gets in on the act. Where the B-side relies too much on the technical ability to sing, the A-side uses a mean set of congas with the aforementioned bass riff to build a foundation upon which the singers can complement with an energetic performance that doesn't try to be more than what it is or needs.

Michael Leonhart And The Avramina 7: Gold Fever
From Scopolomine/Gold Fever 7” (Truth And Soul, 2009)

Michael Leonhart and the Avramina 7 have come together after various band members have been involved in numerous other projects in the soul and groove revival guild such as El Michels Affair, Antibalas, The Dap Kings, and the Phenomenal Handclap Band.

On this 45, the b-side features an afro-funk styled jam called “Gold Fever.” The only words are the hook in its chant of which I can't fully understand all the words outside of the title and “thousand eyes watching you.” During the rest of the song, they let their playing do the talking, and there's no mistaking what they're saying: Get off your ass and jam!