The Gorillaz new album "Humanz " may be their best yet

Greetings everyone.......The Soul Guru here to talk Gorilllaz ,not Gorillas as much as I love them .
Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's virtual art/funk/rap project is one of the most innovative musical/visual projects I've ever seen......truly unique and outstanding . The cartoon characters featured in the videos are are Noodle, 2-D, Murdoc and Russell Hobbs.

" Clint Eastwood " ,Produced by Dan The Automator ,remains a Soul Guru top tune,released in 2001....the video is a classic featuring Del The Funky Homosapien

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UclCCFNG9q4

Their debut album " The Gorillaz " was released shortly after featuring " 19-2000 " , another tune I really like with another brilliant video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq7Ovshz1UI

May 2005 saw the release of " Demon Days "....a reallly excellent album featuring " Dirty Harry another great tune with a BRILLIANT video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLnkQAeMbIM

My favourite track is Dare featuring the GREAT Shaun Ryder and this amazing video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAOR6ib95kQ

Then came "  Plastic Beach " featuring Snoop Dog,Bobby Womack,Mos Def,Lou Reed ,Mark E Smith,Kano, Bashy,DeLa Soul and more......it's another great album....here's " Welcome To The World Of Plastic Beach " featuring Snoop...he's SO cool !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0OVD0_YJnU

In 2012 Albarn and Hewlett fell out...making the possibilty of new music from The Gorillaz unlikely...but of course never say never in the music biz and today " Humanz " was made available and it has been well worth the wait !
The album features De La Soul,Grace Jones, Rag " n" Bone Man, Vince Staples,Noel Gallagher , Pusha T and more .
The single " Sturnz Bars " featuring Popcaan is really great as is the video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qJp6xlKEug

Ascension featuring Vince Staple is equally brilliant :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBA0PUQCvIA

WRITING ABOUT THE GORILLAZ,LISTENING TO THEIR MUSIC AND WATCHING THEIR VIDEOS HAS MADE ME REALISE JUST HOW UNIQUE AND BRILLIANT THEY ARE.....LISTEN TO HUMANZ NOW ON SPOTIFY

The Soul Guru Loves YOU xx

Jessie Reyez...where did she come from ? She's amazing !

Hello dear friends,believers,non-believers and " just don't give a fuck " folk....regardless I come bearing great news !
Even my age - 125 in thetanyears ) I am still enthralled and excited by great new music.....and this week I heard a new female artist who I believe is truly outstanding.....ladies and gentlemen I give you Jessie Reyez whose debut album " Kiddo " appeared this week and it is magnificent !

I don't know much about her except she's a singer/songwriter from Toronto and her album was made available on Friday .

It's a very deep album.....just listen to and watch the video to " Shutter Island " ( what a great book that is and the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio is excellent too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7_BJveYMF4

" Figures " is another track fro " Kiddo "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxLUj1Mrars

I need to know more about Jessie Reyez because her music is really fresh, passionate and truly outstanding....HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The Soul Guru loves YOU
xx

Kendrick Lamaar " Damn "

Just over a year ago I wrote about Kendrick about his latest album

http://thesoulguru.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/the-soul-guru-recommends-kendrick.html

Previously I'd written about " To Pimp A Butterfly " which remains one of my favourite contemporary albums .

Yesterday Kendrick released his new album " Damn " preceded by the outstanding single " Humble "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvTRZJ-4EyI

Compared to Kanye West Kendrick wipes the floor with an artist whose music I find vacuous and purely ego-driven.....and that's being complimentary .
Since " To Pimp A Butterfly " Kendrick has been compared to Marvin Gaye ,John Coltrane and even Mahatma  Ghandi which is clearly unfair on such a young artist . Maybe as an attempt to redress the balance he did guest appearances on tracks by Beyonce ,Kanye West,Sia and incredibly Maroon 5 !

So we come to " Damn "....which i-tunes described as a " grab-you-by-the-throat thats as blunt,complex and unfliching as the name suggests "....I couldn't have put it better myself

If you're interested in contemporary Black Music " Damn " is essential listening and Kendrick Lamar is an artist at the peak of his powers .

The Soul Guru loves YOU xx

Jo Harman ... a great talent !

Good morning disciples ,believers ,,non-believers and just " don't knows " welcome to this week's edition of " Music For The Soul ". Today I want to tell you about a great English SOUL/blues/gospel talent whose new album " People We Become " is truly outstanding .

I was introduced to Jo's music by a great friend who I signed to Virgin Records a few years ago....another lady with a great voice...Eugenie Arrowsmith who is currently making some terrific new music with her husband ,the supremely gifted Pepps Pepper . Once there's something I can share with you I will.

So who is Jo Harman ? She was born in Luton but raised in that well-known hotbed of SOUL music....Lustleigh in Devon . The Soul Guru grew up in rural Gloucestershire, Alice Russell in Suffolk and Jo in Devon.......we all share a love of SOUL music .....I think it was something in the country air that lead us to live SOUL lives !

After releasing her debut album " Live At The Hideaway " in 2011 it was her debut studio album " Dirt On My Tongue " that started to make the British Blues community take notice of a prodigious new voice .
The beautiful track written about her father " Sweet Man Moses " was nominated for Best Composition at 2012's British Blues Awards but to these ears it's a great SOUL song....here's link to the track on youtube .....ENJOY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYMIi8LyBzM

In February this year Jo released her stunning album " People We Become " which is the album Eugenie played me.....it's a  really outstanding SOUL album recorded in Nashville Tennessee with Producer  Fred Mollin . This quote from Jo's biog perfectly describes the sound " full of upright piano, Rhodes, unaffected bursts of electric guitar  and the SOULFUL sweep of Jo's vocal " " People We Become " is bringing Jo and her music to much wider audience .

The debut single " When We Were Young " ,featuring the legendary Michael McDonald on backing vocals , was playlisted on Radio 2......here's link to the video ,it's a fabulous song that shows just what a great SOUL voice Jo has

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyWw7ixwKjs

As Jo said " I've learned how to express myself a bit better , and to convincingly put across the stories I'm telling "

I haven't had the pleasure of seeing Jo live yet but I'm sure I will sooner rather than later as I'm told she's absolutely brilliant .
If you like great SOUL songs beautifully played and sung then Jo Harman's " People We Become " is HIGHLY recommended.....listen on Spotify then buy on i-tunes or CD .

The Soul Guru loves YOU xx