Leisure Centre
Mind Full

smilingc: ...Fritz Bootle, Jr. (F.J.) story began in Freeport on the Grand Bahama Island. While legendary balearic acts were honing in on a sun-soaked sound at Compass Point Studios on the nearby island of New Providence, you could ferry over to Freeport, to witness an equally flourishing scene of soca, reggae, and disco music. If you were lucky, you might’ve caught a live show from F.J. at one of the various clubs around town. During the early ‘90s, regulations on drug traffickers were quite loose which meant discotheques were in full swing and the island attracted a bevy of pleasure-seeking tourists. In addition to the clubs, fish fry’s at the beach were popular places for locals to grab a beer and some snapper to hear the DJs play new selections from neighboring islands. It was a lively time on the island, and F.J.’s music was meant to reflect the relaxed attitude that came with the archipelago lifestyle.

The LIONS is a unique Jamaican-inspired outfit, the result of an impromptu recording session by members of Breakestra, Connie Price and the Keystones, Rhythm Roots All-Stars, Orgone, Sound Directions, Plant Life, Poetics and Macy Gray (to name a few). Gathering at Orgone's Killion Studios, in Los Angeles during the Fall of 2006, they created grooves that went beyond the Reggae spectrum by combining new and traditional rhythms, and dub mixing mastery with the global sounds of Ethiopia, Colombia and Africa. The Lions also added a healthy dose of American-style soul, jazz, and funk to create an album that’s both a nod to the funky exploits of reggae acts like Byron Lee and the Dragonaires and Boris Gardner, and a mash of contemporary sound stylings.

P-Vine: ...A true rare board that is not only rare, but also has perfect quality!　 A masterpiece of the soul vocal group from Kansas City (recorded in Chicago), a land where it is hard to say that soul music was booming in 1976. The only album released by Smoke on a label called J. Bridge, a quartet that includes Larry Brown, who was also on Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and Marva Whitney's younger brother Melvin Manning.The reissue LP of P-Vine in 1996 is also rising, and the LP reissue of the same work again.After all, in addition to the wonderful ballad "I'm So Lonely" that exceeds 8 minutes, the medium that seems to be from Chicago is also the best. Amacha soul fan super must!