Search - J.R. Bailey :: Just Me N You

Highly Recommended !!!

Toni | London,UK | 03/19/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"An Excellent quality reproduction on CD but wished they had given a standard cd casing but nevertheless an item to be proud of.

No longer will I have to use my vinyl copy.

An outstanding soul album from 1970's,highly recommended for serious soul music listeners and collectors alike.

A consistent and well balanced album which will be talked about for many years too come..."A must have in your soul collection !"

Probably the greatest soul recording of the '70s (that you n

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 09/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wanna begin this review by saying that most people who read my reviews darn well know that I'm usually enthusiastic about the products I write about... That's because my reviews don't represent purchases of the moment, but my collection in general... so when I write about an item I'm saying, "Wow... of all the stuff I have in my collection, this is something I believe everyone should dig...." I say this for one reason: now and then I might sound a bit like the little boy who cried wolf every time I say, "This is must have listening!" and "One of the greatest..." but trust me on this:

I won't lie... I heard this album for the first time just a few days ago, and it is... mind blowing.

If you're into Leroy Hutson and Willie Hutch The Very Best of Willie Hutch in particular, you'll really dig this...

I really don't know how to put words to it... so let me give you some backround:



TRATTORIA is a Japanese label that over the years launched a lot of Japanese style "deep funk" and "shibuya-kei" music. (You may have heard of Pizzicato 5 and Cornelius First Question Award if you need some examples...) - - This album was a REISSUE put out o in celebration of what they thought was some of the best un-released soul music of all time. The liners, in fact are by Cornelius.



Second fact: The album was released by MAM records in 1974, a label that I believe was co-owned by Tom Jones.

As for the man of the hour: J.R. Bailey was a singer/songwriter who got his start performing with The Cadillacs. Two of the most famous songs he penned included "Everybody Plays The Fool" (Main Ingredient) and "Love, Love, Love" (Donny Hathaway)... He can be heard as a back-up singer on countless album by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Joe Simon, Ben E. King, Ike and Tina Turner, The Three Degrees and a bazillion others - - including a favorite organ groove album of mine: Got to Get Your Own by Reuben Wilson and The Cost of Living.



As for his vocal style... think elements of Marvin, Donny Hathaway even Lenny Williams of Tower of Power fame - - but a guy doing his own thing... Although a raw and commanding soul singer, a guy with stunning chops too, as demonstrated by some of the wicked Jazz chops in his singing. I'm sure the reason why he stayed behind the scenes (until his untimely death in 1980) will be just as much a mystery to you... because when you listen to his music you sense that he must have been one heck of a nice guy, yet ridiculously gifted musical genius.



And I mean it... I'm not exaggerating !"