Listen Up Records is a label on a mission and the mission is to put Chicago back on the soul music map. Back in soul music’s halcyon days, the Windy City was of course famous for the creative output of Curtis Mayfield, Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, or Billy Butler. In the mid-80s Chicago was the birthplace of house music. Unfortunately most of the soul impetus got lost over the years while house music became the new disco and simplified said, New Jersey Garage became the heir of soulful uptempo music.
In the 90s R.Kelly emerged to conquer the charts. But what started as soul soon turned into urban/R&B and leaves the question what has happened to the soul of Chi-Town?
Soul music in Chicago is still alive it just has gone underground. And thanks to Listen Up Records we can now enjoy twelve songs from six artists.
Cherisse (Scott) is featured with two songs from her wonderful album Moans, that she has released on her own in 2003. I Can’t Make You Be A Man is a flowing midtempo groove with a fine vocal performance, Hopeless is one of the killertracks here, a great downtempo groove that oozes soul thanks to Cherisse’s rich voice.
The Kevin Chandler Band contributes Gilding The Lilly and When Ya Lovin’ Me, both are classic pieces of relaxed and smooth soul.
Judging You and Brazilian Love Affair (not a cover of the George Duke tune) by the McKenzie Burns Project can best be described as perfect marriage of soul and smooth jazz, the latter song with a pleasant dose of latin jazz.
The two songs by Kaialexander (Don’t Play and Too Kold) fit nicely into the context of this compilation although they are a little too smooth-jazz-like if judged on their own.
Much better is Teddy Austin with his neo soul/hip hop influenced Eye No (anyone remembering Prince and his Lovesexy album using the same song title?) and Under Stand.
The sixth artist featured on this compilation is Chester Gregory, whose Konfuezd is a little bit too, er, konfuezd for my taste. But he really hits home with his ballad Til U Come (Back To Me).
Overall this is a great compilation of the soul underground of Chicago and since it’s labeled Volume I, there will hopefully be a Volume II, III…

Tracklisting of Chicago Soul Sessions Volume I: 1. I Can’t Make You Be A Man/ 2. Gilding The Lilly/ 3. Judging You/ 4. Don’t Play/ 5. Eye No/ 6. Kunfuezd/ 7. When Ya Lovin’ Me/ 8. Hopeless/ 9. Brazilian Love Affair/ 10. Too Kold/ 11. Til U Come (Back To Me)/ 12. Under Stand | released 2005 by Listen Up Records

For more infos visit chicagosoulsessions.com, cdbaby.com, cherissescott.com, mckenzieburns.com, chestergregory.com.

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