Aloha Got Soul (Soul, AOR & Disco in Hawaii 1979-1985) 2016 (Strut)

Label : Strut

Value :

Sweet soul from the Hawaii scene of the 70s – a surprisingly strong source of well-crafted, warmly-produced grooves – all with a special sort of sparkle that reminds us a lot of the best Bay Area or LA sounds of the time! There's a sunny vibe to the music that really belies its roots – a blend of jazz, soul, funk, and more – all handled with production that's few notches down from the slicker AOR material of the period, which still lets all the more soulful currents shine through nicely – and which keeps all this stuff from ever sounding too commercial. Given the cultural cross-currents taking place on the islands at the time, there's a surprising mix of backgrounds to some of these groups – which results in a unique sound that's nicely colorblind, and which stands as a bit of a contrast to some of the more defined scenes on the mainland.

Taste:

Roy & Roe - Just Don't Come Back

Hal Bradbury - Call Me

Marvin Franklin - Kona Winds (With Kimo And The Guys)

Download 3 tracks

By Electric Looser