Clarence Smith, founder of Essence Magazine and CEO of YOU Entertainment says “The goal is to bring back quality music. Music that engages people emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.”
Well, readers of jazz-not-jazz know that there’s really no shortage of quality music if you’re willing to dig deep enough into soul music’s underground. But it never hurts to reflect upon what distinguishes good music from the rest and to proclaim this as the raison d’être for your label. So Clarence teamed up with Duke Jones, Norman Connors and Jacques Burvick to produce this fine album of sweet soul jazz music.
If you - like me - discovered black music in the mid/late 80s this compilation is like coming home with a list of featured artists that reads like a who’s who of the mid 80s to early 90s. There’s Glenn Jones on the soulful midtempo track What You Gonna Do. It’s great to hear Christopher Williams after a long hiatus on Used To Be. And being a fan of Jon Lucien his collaboration with Pucho And The Latin Soul Brothers on the smooth latin tingled To Be With You is clearly a must have.
But the one person who surpasses herself on Love Pages is Maysa (Leak). Her I’m Changing and Stay In My Heart are pure ear candy and beautiful soul jazz gems. Compared to the afore-mentioned songs the MOR ballads by Peabo Bryson (Don’t Make Me Cry) and Vesta (Williams) (One More Bridge To Cross) sound a little bit too commercial to my ears but the instrumentals Brazilian Heat (with Bobby Lyle and Paulinho Da Costa) and Urban Jungle (with some gorgeous vibes by Roy Ayers) make more than up for it. By the way there was a time in the 80s when Paulinho Da Costa was the percussionist of choice on every other soul album. Other highlights include Sheba with spoken words by Nichelle Holiday, who sounds a lot like Me’shell on this song, and the latinesque mellow groove of Pier 69 with Pucho And The Latin Soul Brothers and Roy Ayers. A heartfelt performance by George Benson on the ballad Pages closes this strong compilation. All in all this is a formidable proof that yesteryear’s singers, songwriters and producers still have that special something and together they can produce quality music from start to finish.

Tracklisting of Love Pages: 1. What You Gonna Do featuring Glenn Jones/ 2. Don’t Make Me Cry featuring Peabo Bryson/ 3. Used To Be featuring Christopher Williams/ 4. One More Bridge to Cross featuring Vesta/ 5. I’m Changing featuring Maysa/ 6. Brazilian Heat/ 7. To Be With You featuring Jon Lucien/ 8. Urban Jungle/ 9. U and I featuring Denise Stewart/ 10. You Don’t Have to Say You’re Sorry featuring Jazmyn/ 11. Stay In My Heart featuring Maysa/ 12. Sheba featuring Louis Taylor & Nichelle Holiday/ 13. Pier 69 featuring Roy Ayers, Pucho and The Latin Soul Brothers/ 14. Get Up On It/ 15. Love Pages featuring George Benson | released 2005 YOU Entertainment

For more infos visit cafesoulallstars.com and youentertainment.com.

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