Mike

Philadelphia soul singer Billy Paul died at the age of 81 this Sunday morning at his home in Blackwood, New Jersey, Sourced via http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Billy-Paul-Soul-Singer-Death-Philadelphia-Manager--376903281.html Also the following statement was announced on the website billypaul.com We regret to announce with a heavy heart that Billy has passed away today at home after a serious medical condition. We would like to extend our most sincere condolences to his wife Blanche and family for their loss, as they and the world grieves the loss of another musical icon that helped pioneered todays R&B music. Billy will be truly missed RIP Billy Paul A full detailed biography is featured on wikipedia and billypaul.com and some brief preview clips from this follows below... Billy Paul (born Paul Williams; December 1, 1935) is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, most known for his 1972 number-one single, "Me and Mrs. Jones" as well as the 1973 album and single "War of the Gods" which blends his more conventional pop, soul and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences. He is one of the many artists associated with the Philadelphia soul sound created by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell. Paul is usually identified by his diverse vocal style which ranges from mellow and soulful to low and raspy. Questlove of The Roots has equated Paul to Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, calling him "one of the criminally unmentioned proprietors of socially conscious post-revolution '60s civil rights music... ...was a brief stand in for one of the ailing Blue Notes with Harold Melvin. Paul remembered: "Well, I didn’t want to dance so Harold Melvin fired me (laughs). I had a six month stay with The Flamingos - I was with The Flamingos for a while." It was around this time that Paul established a lifelong friendship withMarvin Gaye—both singers filling in with other groups. Paul recalled: "I was one of the Blue Notes at one time and Marvin Gaye was in The Moonglows.... We were such good friends. We never did a record together and that would have been one of my dreams. And you know what one of my fascinations is? What we would be doing if he were here today. I think about Marvin every day. The love I have for this man is unbelievable. We were close, we were like brothers. When I would go on the road out in California, he would go round to the house... ...Oh man! I was up against Ray Charles, I was up against Curtis Mayfield, I was up against Isaac Hayes. I was in the Wilberforce University in Ohio, I had to go do a homecoming - my wife and her mother went. And when I see Ringo Starr call my name, I said Ohhh... Yeah... The most sobering thing is to have a number one record across the whole entire world in all languages. It’s a masterpiece, it’s a classic. "The song was PIR's first No. 1. In addition, the label was enjoying considerable success with their other artists including the O'Jays and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Paul remembered the atmosphere at the label: "It was like a family full of music. It was like music round the clock, you know... ...with 'Am I Black Enough.' I wanted - I'm gonna make it this time and come out. I think it's true to the audience, cos they look for something to come out compared to Mrs. Jones and that was Clive Davis' idea to do that. I think it was Kenny and Clive Davis, but I think it was mostly Clive Davis."For his part, Davis has said that he opposed releasing the song as a single. Still, Davis called it an "all time great record, all time great performance. "Gamble, the co-writer and producer of the track, said the song "was great and Billy sounded great doing it.".Paul reflected... ...Reverend George Clements (left) honored Billy Paul for the song "Let 'Em In." Reverend George Clements, the crusading pastor of Holy Angels Catholic Church on the South Side of Chicago presented Paul with an award for the song on Billy Paul Day, 23 May 1977 that included a ceremony at the church with the church's school choir performing the song. When informed of the honor by Father Clements, Paul reportedly cried tears of joy... ... Andrew Hamilton put it bluntly: "Gamble and Huff did a horrible job picking Paul's singles. Some better choices, and his career might have been Hall-of-Famish."Similarly, Jason Ankeny wrote: "Too easily dismissed as little more than a one-hit wonder, Billy Paul was, in fact, one of the most gifted and affecting talents to grace the Philadelphia International stable - the recipient of some of the Gamble and Huff team's most lush and sophisticated productions. His deeply soulful voice bridged the gap between jazz and soul, textured in equal measure by street-smart swagger and touching ... ...made two studio albums in the 1980s. The first Lately was released in 1985 and was a dramatic musical departure from the lush Philadelphia Soul of his previous efforts. Recorded for Lonnie Simmons' Total Experience Records, the album's synthesizer and keyboard-driven tracks (typical of music production at the time) were closer to Simmons' work with The Gap Band and Yarbrough and Peoples than they were to Paul's 70's orchestrated wall of sound. The album's title track, a ballad, was released as a single in the U.K. but did not chart. The follow-up single - a slow jam called "Sexual Therapy" - fared better climbing to #80 on the U.K. charts. Paul's final studio album was 1988's Wide Open for the Ichiban label. Similar in production style to his previous release, though perhaps a bit smoother, it reached #61 on the Soul chart. However, the singles "We Could Have Been" and "I Just Love You So Much" failed... ...2009, the biographical feature film Am I Black Enough for You?, directed by Swedish director Göran Hugo Olsson was released. Awarding the film three stars,Uncut magazine said "Olsson modelled his film on Let’s Get Lost, Bruce Weber’s 1989 portrait of Chet Baker, saying: "Paul is certainly no fallen demi-genius to set alongside Baker, but he proves an engaging, articulate subject, with a story that stretches back to playing alongside Charlie Parker, and peppered with the usual racial prejudice. His career is, in its way, emblematic of black America’s struggles over the last half century, including a descent into cocaine addiction and recovery, both shared with his wife, who remains a quirky, willful presence throughout the ... ...receiving the Grammy for "Me and Mrs. Jones", Paul has won several Ebby awards given by the readers of Ebony magazine; has been a recipient of anAmerican Music Award, the NAACP Image Award and numerous proclamations and keys to cities across the United States. Paul received the 2015 AMG Favorite Retro Artist of the Year award as well as being given the prestigious Sandy Hosey Lifetime Achievement Award during the Artists Music Guild's 2015 AMG Heritage Awards broadcast held on November 14, 2015 in Monroe, NC.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Paul http://billyp7.wix.com/soul-artist#!about/c10fk

The film Nina was released this weekend in the USA Company Blurb She was one of the century's most extraordinary talents, a 15-time Grammy nominee and Grammy Hall of Fame Recipient; her mesmerizing songs and passionate politics combined to make her the unforgettable Nina Simone (Zoe Saldana). But fame and fortune came with a price, and her later years were riddled with depression, alcohol abuse and isolation. Rediscovering the meaning of her life and work took courage, strength and one true friend: Clifton Henderson (David Oyelowo), the man who started out as her assistant and eventually became her loyal manager. With Clifton's encouragement, the "high priestess of soul" began a courageous journey back to her music ... and, eventually, herself. Reviews As you may well be aware there has been quite a lot of controversy regarding this film and its choice of actress. Given that this is now out it's interesting to see how the final; product has been received. The Guardian has a recent first look review.. 'The chorus from the most famous Nina Simone song never heard in the Nina Simone biopic is the one that rattles around in your head most as you watch it: “Goddam!” Cynthia Mort’s long-in-development Nina has been the focus of considerable casting controversy, but the light-skinned Zoe Saldana wearing dark makeup and face-altering prosthetics is only the film’s surface problem. At its core it is an inept, cliche-ridden story edited together in a treacly and cheap manner. Set 20 years ago, Nina feels like a made-for-television movie of the era, the type which, thankfully, we rarely see any more' The full review can be read via http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/apr/20/nina-simone-biopic-review-zoe-saldana Other online reviews seem to do take a similar if not at times harsher tone Anyway it's now out in the USA, no sign of an UK release date yet. Official Trailer More info http://www.us.rljentertainment.com/product/nina/346cf4d6-7e3b-e511-9440-0ad9f5e1f797 As always if you do get to see it either now or in the future then feel free to pass on your take

Just been passed on to us that Charity Soul have been invited to be a partner with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation Trust Information from Charity Soul Secretary Dave Johnson... Yes, we here at Charity soul are involved with a major project which has just come to fruition. Charity Soul is registered charity which runs fundraising soul music events throughout the UK and as such we are extremely delighted to announce that we have been asked to be partner with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation Trust... http://www.leedsrhinosfoundation.org/home.php ...and we will provide the music at events organised by the Foundation with Charity Soul being the beneficiary of any monetary donations made to our charity at these functions. To say we are 'over the moon' with this outcome is an understatement, and we are to provide the music at an event on Saturday 23rd April at Leeds Headingley Stadium Dave Johnson - Secretary/Administrator Charity Soul @the Happy Hooker http://charitysoul.co.uk/

Word of a recent release from Light In The Attic Records who have been having a go at the Loma label and have pushed out what appears to be a very tasty 4 volume vinyl box set release. Full details from Light In The Attic records below The four volumes of Loma: A Soul Music Love Affair are the result of several years of in-depth research into the Loma vault. This first installment concerns itself with the category that has made Loma such a celebrated imprint to fans: Northern soul aimed strictly at the dancefloor. Acknowledged floor-fillers like Ben Aiken’s “Satisfied” and Ike & Tina Turner’s “Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You” nestle with sought-after rarities by The Soul Shakers, Marvellos, and Voice Box. There are classics from The Olympics and Apollas, overlooked gems by The Jammers and Paul Days, an unissued stomper from Bobby Freeman, and the legendarily withdrawn single by Bob & Earl. With full historical notes on artist and label history and rare pieces of ephemera, Loma: A Soul Music Love Affair is a fresh and invigorating celebration of one of 60s soul’s most storied imprints. Compilation and liner notes by Alec Palao Fully remastered audio featuring rare and unissued cuts In-depth notes on artist and label history with rare ephemera items 4 LP Bundle includes LOMA Volumes 1-4 Vinyl only it seems and available from all the usual online suspects Heres the listing, company info and the Juno Records get your ears ons (just for 3 of the 4 lps mind) Loma: A Soul Music Love Affair Volume 1: Something's Burning 1964-68 This first installment concerns itself with the category that has made Loma such a celebrated imprint to fans: Northern soul aimed strictly at the dancefloor. Acknowledged floor-fillers like Ben Aiken’s “Satisfied” and Ike & Tina Turner’s “Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You” nestle with sought-after rarities by The Soul Shakers, Marvellos, and Voice Box. There are classics from The Olympics and Apollas, overlooked gems by The Jammers and Paul Days, an unissued stomper from Bobby Freeman, and the legendarily withdrawn single by Bob & Earl. Side 1 1. Ben Aiken - "Satisfied" (2:34) 2. Bob & Earl - "Everybody Jerk" (2:08) 3. Charles Thomas - "The Man With The Golden Touch" (2:32) 4. The Apollas - "Pretty Red Balloons" (2:39) 5. Bobby Freeman - "I'm A Lover" (2:33) 6. The Soul Shakers - "I'm Getting Weaker" (2:30) 7. Delilah Kennebreuw - "Bright Lights" (2:34) 8. The Jammers - "Where Can She Run To" (3:06) Side 2 1. Ike & Tina Turner - "Somebody (Somewhere) Needs You" (2:34) 2. The Voice Box - "Baby, Baby Don't You Know (That I Love You)" (2:22) 3. The Marvellos - "Something's Burning" (2:44) 4. Tony Amaro & The Charitos - "Runnin' Around" (2:13) 5. The Apollas - "You're Absolutely Right" (2:20) 6. Paul Days - "Wake Me Up Baby" (2:04) 7. The Olympics - "Good Lovin'" (2:30) 8. Linda Jones - "My Heart Needs A Break" (2:45) Loma: A Soul Music Love Affair Volume Two: Get In The Groove 1965-68 Volume two of Loma: A Soul Music Love Affair focuses on the funkier, earthier side of the Loma catalog and is once again the result of several years of in-depth research into the vault. JJ Jackson and The Mighty Hannibal bring the boogaloo, Baby Lloyd and Lukas Lollipop offer up some deep soul, and the stratospheric pipes of Carl Hall make us wanna holler. There’s the grooving original of “Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)” by diva Lorraine Ellison, little-heard rarities from Larry Laster and Roy Redmond, obscure productions by James Brown and Solomon Burke, and a heartbreaking unissued cut by one-time Hendrix sideman Lonnie Youngblood 1. Get in the Groove - The Mighty Hannibal 2. You Don't Know Nothing About Love - Carl Hall 3. Come See Me (I'm Your Man) - J.J. Jackson 4. There's Something On Your Mind (Part 1) - Baby Lloyd 5. Ain't That Terrible - Roy Redmond 6. Your Search Is Over - Walter Foster 7. Rainin' in My Heart - The Olympics 8. Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) - Lorraine Ellison 9. The Dam Busted - Carl Hall 10. You Can't Outsmart a Woman - Kell Osborne 11. Don't Hold On to Someone (Who Don't Love You) - Lukas Lollipop 12. Help Yourself - Larry Laster 13. Good Time - The Mighty Hannibal 14. Too Late - J.J. Jackson 15. Don't You Have Feelings - Little Joe Cook 16. Callin' - Lonnie Youngblood Loma: A Soul Music Love Affair Volume 3: Sad Sad Feeling 1964-68 Several years of in-depth research into the Loma vault provide the content of our third volume. It celebrates the many sophisticated uptown productions on the label, mostly cut in New York under the auspices of Ragovoy, Van McCoy, George Kerr, Richard Tee, and other soul notables. Loma goddess–and Aretha’s favorite singer–Linda Jones gets us “Hypnotized” while Bobby Freeman spooks with “Shadow Of Your Love.” Rarities include soulful items from The Realistics, Bobby Reed, Mary Lee Whitney, and Tommy Starr, along with several unreleased titles, including heart wrenching nuggets by The Enchanters and Carl Hall, and the never-before-heard Bob & Earl gem “Just One Look In Your Eyes”. Side 1 1. Linda Jones - "Hypnotized" (2:41) 2. The Autographs - "Sad, Sad Feeling" (part 1) (2:38) 3. The Enchanters - "I Paid For The Party" (2:48) 4. The Invincibles - "Can't Win" (2:15) 5. Carl Hall - "He'll Never Love You" (3:22) 6. Bobby Reed - "I Wanna Love You So Bad" (2:13) 7. Ben Aiken - "I Told You Once (I Told You A Million Times)" (2:57) Side 2 1. Bobby Freeman - "Shadow Of Your Love" (2:15) 2. Little Jerry Williams - "I'm The Lover Man" (2:34) 3. Bob & Earl - "Just One Look In Your Eyes" (2:39) 4. Mary Lee Whitney - "Don't Come A' Knockin'" (3:13) 5. Tommy Starr - "Better Think Of What You're Losing" (2:48) 6. The Enchanters - "To Get Your Love Back" (2:26) 7. The Realistics - "If This Ain't Love" (2:40) Loma: A Soul Music Love Affair Volume 4: Sweeter Than Sweet 1964-68 Last but not least, our unprecedented dig into the Loma Record vaults has thrown up a surfeit of soulful goodies for the final volume, many of which are previously unreleased. Northern soul fans will marvel at the dancefloor potential of The Marvellos’ “I Need You” or The Invincibles’ “Heartstrings.” Aficionados of the Ragovoy-supervised uptown sound will groove on Carl Hall’s “Like I Told You” and Ben Aiken’s “That’s All You Gotta Do.” The tracklist also shines light on many unfairly overlooked entries in the Loma listings by the likes of Linda Jones, Billy Storm, The Implements, and The Realistics, and yet more compelling cuts from The Apollas, Teen Turbans, and The Mighty Hannibal remind us just why we love Loma. Side 1 1. The Marvellos - "I Need You" (2:42) 2. Vickie Baines - "Sweeter Than Sweet Things" (2:51) 3. Artie Lewis - "Ain't No Good" (2:34) 4. Carl Hall - "Like I Told You" (2:41) 5. The Implements - "Ole Man Soul" (part 1) (2:42) 6. Linda Jones - "You Can't Take It" (2:20) 7. The Olympics - "No More Will I Cry" (2:58) 8. The Teen Turbans - "We Need To Be Loved" (2:10) Side 2 1. The Mighty Hannibal - "I'm Coming Home" (2:14) 2. Billy Storm - "I Never Want You To Dream Again (There Is A Garden)" (2:14) 3. The Invincibles - "Heartstrings" (2:09) 4. Ben Aiken - "That's All You Gotta Do" (2:41) 5. Dick Jensen & The Imports - "Back In Circulation" (2:04) 6. The Realistics - "How Did I Live Without You" (2:29) 7. The Romeos - "Mon Petite Chow" (2:11) 8. The Apollas - "Just Can't Get Enough Of You" (2:25) This release is also featured in an article via the LA Weekly website (for fans of differing angles) Revisiting Loma Records, the L.A. Soul Label That Launched Ike and Tina Turner Preview clip and link to full article below Soul music devotees have long wondered why Los Angeles didn’t field a great 1960s soul record label like Motown or Stax. Hollywood was fast becoming the recording capital of the country and Motown would indeed relocate here by the end of the decade. Couldn’t the town produce a first-class soul label? The question is not entirely fair to L.A. Motown and Stax filled vacuums in Detroit and Memphis, respectively. Both cities had much more black musical talent than they did recording outlets. In L.A., on the other hand, all of the major labels were represented, and a constellation of smaller indies such as Original Sound and Del-Fi operated around them. The two long-established rhythm and blues companies, Modern and Specialty, had catalogs dating back to the 1940s but more or less sat out the ’60s soul boom that exploded all around them. Full article at http://www.laweekly.com/music/revisiting-loma-records-the-la-soul-label-that-launched-ike-and-tina-turner-6843844

Just a quick word about the 2016 version of Soul Source Article feature. The feature is one of the main blocks of Soul Source. It's a long running and busy part of the Soul Source site. Offering the latest soul related news, reviews, informative articles and much more Over the last few weeks a heavy hands on sort out of this feature has been going on. As now at a pause it makes sense to post up a quick shout to let you all know the score Soul Source Articles Feature 2016 Both the layout and the structure of this feature have seen improvements during the last few weeks There is now a one page article index, which is titled... Articles You can view via this link (which also shows at the top menu level)... https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articles/ This is the top layer of the article feature - this acts as the index... Here the 5 article categories are listed complete with links. Plus the categories latest posted articles. Categories There are now just 5 different categories and they are as follows... Soul News: Latest soul related news, release news, major event news and more Features Lengthy informative feature type articles Reviews A new section that is just a month old and is going well. It's staffed by a review team of 6 members who take a look at the latest soul related projects and let you know the score If you are involved with any soul related projects then get in touch with us about possible reviews. The contact us feature is here - click here Artist Sad news A section where members can read and share sad news of soul artists passing on Northern Soul Hall Of Fame Dave Moore and co's informative project That's the 5 main categories covered. Take a look and you will find 1000s of articles ranging from the early 1997 days right up to till today here in 2016. From a wide range of members, sources and indeed viewpoints. Posting News/Articles All members can use this feature to pass on news, views and such to other soul music fans. To do this just use the "add +" link which is at the top of every page on desktops (use the hamburger menu on phones) ( look up now to the top menu for a real time view ) 1. Hit the add+ link and choose article 2. Select the category 3. Read the Guidelines, if ok and all fits in then just submit your views/news 4. Add a cover image - ideal size 760 x 400 pixels 4. Once posted there will be a short delay before publishing. This is so the layout and the content can be reviewed to ensure that the article will work well Endword As said the Article features has over the years been one of the main blocks of Soul Source, the improvements should help this to continue Soul Source Support. If you do have any questions or suggestions about this or any other feature then as always feel free to post them up in the support forum. That is always the best place both to pass on and also to find out all you need to know about the site Cheers mike

Reported as out today, two artist specific comp albums from Play Back records (which is said to be a Polish setup) Howard Tate - I Learned It All The Hard Way - Play Back records O.V. Wright - Treasured Moments - Play Back records (Double CD) Information, listings and company blurbs follows... Howard Tate - I Learned It All The Hard Way - Play Back records 'Howard Tate was of one of soul music's greatest singers. This 29 track career spanning retrospective illustrates Tate's consistently creative, accomplished prowess as a song interpreter with key selections from his Verve, Turntable, Atlantic, Epic and HT output. Although he was relatively unknown in his day, his stature amongst soul collectors worldwide has grown to legendary status and his songs have been covered by a diverse range of great artists including Janis Joplin, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Ry Cooder. This is Essential Deep Soul!' 1. Half a Man 2. You're Lookin' Good 3. Get It While You Can 4. Ain't Nobody Home 5. Baby, I Love You 6. Shoot 'Em All Down 7. Stop 8. Night Owl 9. I Learned It All the Hard Way 10. Sweet Love Child 11. I'm Your Servant 12. Question 13. Have You Ever Had the Blues? 14. My Soul's Got a Hole in It 15. Plenty of Love 16. That's What Happens 17. These Are the Things That Make Me Know You're Gone 18. It's Too Late 19. She's a Burglar 20. 8 Days On the Road 21. You Don't Know Nothing 'Bout Love 22. Where Did My Baby Go 23. Strugglin' 24. Keep Cool 25. The Bitter End 26. Ain't Got Nobody to Give It To 27. Can You Top This 28. Brand New Me 29. Get It While You Can O.V. Wright - Treasured moments - Play Back records (Double CD) 'When O.V. Wright died from a heart attack in 1980, it was a tragic end to one of the greatest artistic runs of any American soul singer. Although the 41 year old had scored thirteen Top 50 R&B hits, his success cannot be measured strictly in commercial terms; rather, Wright is revered as one of the greatest, most expressive and accomplished stylists in the idiom's history, ranking right alongside if not eclipsing such famed colleagues as Otis Redding and Solomon Burke. This 2CD set presents a complete compendium of O.V. Wright's scorching 45rpm singles, 41 tracks originally released 1965-1976 on Don Robey's legendary Back Beat label and ABC Records. This is an essential cornerstone of any Southern Soul collection! ' Tracks Disc: 1 1. Can't Find True Love 2. Don't Want to Sit Down 3. You're Gonna Make Me Cry 4. Monkey Dog 5. I'm in Your Corner 6. Poor Boy 7. Gone for Good 8. How Long Baby 9. Eight Men and Four Women 10. Fed Up With the Blues 11. Heartaches, Heartaches 12. Treasured Moments 13. What About You 14. What Did You Tell This Girl of Mine 15. Oh Baby Mine 16. Working Your Game 17. I Want Everyone to Know 18. Gonna Forget About You 19. Missing You 20. This Hurt Is Real 21. I'll Take Care of You Disc: 2 1. Why Not Give Me a Chance? 2. Love the Way You Love 3. Blowing in the Wind 4. Ace of Spades 5. Afflicted 6. Born All Over 7. When You Took Your Love from Me 8. A Nickel and a Nail 9. Pledging My Love 10. Don't Let My Baby Ride 11. He Made Woman for Man 12. Drowning On Dry Land 13. Please Forgive Me 14. I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled and Crazy 15. I'm Going Home (To Live With God) 16. I've Been Searching 17. What More Can I Do 18. Henpecked Man 19. Nobody But You 20. Slow and Easy

LATEST RELEASE: Lack of Afro – I Got The Rhythm / All My Love Featuring the vocals of Elliott Cole (‘I Got The Rhythm’) & Juliette Ashby (‘All My Love’). Released on LOA Records April 2016. UPCOMING RELEASE: NEW ALBUM PRE-ORDER! ‘Hello Baby’ will be released on LOA Records on the 29th April (CD & digital) & the 27th May (Gatefold vinyl). It features Joss Stone, Elliott Cole, Juliette Ashby, Professor Elemental, Herbal T & Emma Noble. It’s available to pre-order now (including a very juicy album bundle): PRE-ORDER FROM LOA RECORDS STORE: http://ow.ly/10zJQp PRE-ORDER FROM iTUNES: http://ow.ly/10zKcL TOUR INFO LOA DJ set @ Paul Smith, Soho, London Saturday, 16 April LOA Live Band @ Motion, Bristol Friday, 29 April LOA Live Band @ The Duke of Cumberland, Whitstable Friday, 6 May LOA Live Band @ The South London Soul Train, London Saturday, 7 May LOA Live Band @ The Phoenix, Exeter Saturday, 14 May LOA Live Band @ TBA, Belfast Friday, 20 May LOA Live Band @ The Hub, Plymouth Friday, 27 May LOA Live Band @ Band On The Wall, Manchester Saturday, 28 May LOA Live Band @ BBC 6 Music Live Session, Media City Saturday, 28 May More info via http://www.lackofafro.com/

From Daptone comes the third album in their series of acapella gospel music releases. Walker Family Singers - Panola Country Singers - Daptone While the cd was uut last month on cd, there is now a limited vinyl lp release available from such outlets as Juno Records etc It seems an interesting ongoing project, there is a recent feature on Tidal that goes in deep on both the project and the artists via an interview by Ryan Pinkard. In it he interviews Michael Reilly concerned with the Walker Family, his time in Como and the greater legacy of field recording. A preview clip follows below, you can read the full detailed interview via http://read.tidal.com/article/the-voices-of-panola-county-a-southern-journey-revisited In April of 2010, Robert, Bobby, Alberta, Delouse and Patricia gathered at the home of their parents, Raymond and Joella Walker to make a recording with field recordist Michael Reilly. It would be Reilly’s third venture to capture the a capella gospel tradition of Como, Mississippi for Daptone Records, first inspired by the folk, blues and gospel recordings Alan Lomax collected for the Library of Congress in the middle 20th century. It was during Reilly’s first recording – Como Now: The Voices of Panola County (2008) – that he encountered the Walker family and learned of their great musical tradition – introduced by the Como Mamas, the focus of his second project, Get an Understanding (2013)..... Video WALKER FAMILY SINGERS - PANOLA COUNTY SPIRIT- DAPTONE Daptone Album info and link In April of 2010, Robert, Bobby, Alberta, Delouse, and Patricia gathered at the home of their parents, Raymond and Joella Walker to make a recording with Michael Reilly. It would be Reilly’s third venture to record the a capella gospel tradition of Como, Mississippi for Daptone Records. It was during his first recording (The Voices of Panola County: Como Now) that he encountered the Walker family and learned of their great musical tradition. Raymond Walker was courted by both Fred McDowell and Sam Cooke - each asked him to sing behind them on tour. Respectfully, Raymond declined, on account that the singers wanted him to sing blues rather than gospel. However, it was the Walkers’ voices and not their rich history that captured the attention of Daptone and inspired Reilly’s return to Como to make a full-length record of the Walker family songs. Recorded in their living room, these performances are as deep and stirring as they are unembellished. Take a moment to take in Panola County Spirit, with The Walker Family Singers. http://shop.daptonerecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/panola-county-spirit