search
date/time
Yorkshire Times
A Voice of the Free Press
frontpagebusinessartscarslifestylefamilytravelsportsscitechnaturefictionCartoons
Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
2:16 PM 3rd April 2020
arts

James Taylor Quartet - People Get Ready (We're Moving On) - Audio Network

 
Recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios with a string orchestra and two UK soul sensations in Natalie Williams and Noel McKoy, British acid jazz legend James Taylor releases his new album with his band JTQ - and what an amazing album it is.

Apparently to familiarise himself with how musical scores look and work Taylor joined a local church choir giving him the confidence to compose and score his own Mass using a four part Choir, which led to composing for string quartets and finally orchestral scores.

They reckon the album harks back to the sound of Gamble and Huff (The O'Jays, Billy Paul, Harold Melvin) and Stevie Wonder. Artists over the years such as The Brand New Heavies, Incognito, Jamiroquai, Swing Out Sister and more recently Mario Biondi have undoubtedly been influenced by these soul and funk legends. If you like any of the artists mentioned here you are going to find hidden treasure on this fine album.

As on previous James Taylor Quartet albums you will find here a mixture of instrumentals and vocal songs, it is on the latter where the more commercial cuts are. Uplifting, inspiring and inspirational, in normal times the album would be the perfect soundtrack to spring - in these unusual times we are living in right now the album could not have come at a better time to brighten up the gloomiest of days.

The string section on opening track A Giant Leap leads you into the journey ahead as the lush instrumental teases your ears. Natalie Williams lends her soulful vocals to Who's Gonna Break The News on a timeless song, part Brand New Heavies but with James Taylor giving a more jazzier feel to the track.

People Get Ready (We're Moving On) takes you back to those Gamble and Huff tracks from the 70's but with a 2020 kick. With a lyric that means a lot right now the track is a song for our times.

Get Out and Walk treads somewhere between James Brown and Curtis Mayfield on a funky Number. The funky vibe continues on Living On The Front Line as Natalie Williams gets right into your soul on a flute driven number.

Boogie on Through The Night which came out as a taster for the album has the string section in full effect, in a disco laden song that would make any mirorball shine bright. German producer Frank Farian tried the same effect on some of the early Boney M tracks, especially the less commercial album songs, 40 years later the disco magic still works.

Making a long overdue return British soul sensation Noel McKoy returns the favour he gave when he sang on Love The Life 30 years ago on Baby Come Back. No its not an old track but a song that would sound perfect if they could perform the track with the full orchestra on tour. We can all dream.

Tomorrow's Sun closes the set on a track that Swing Out Sister would be proud to own as some of their later work. A soulful number that concludes an album all involved should be proud of. If it was left to be undiscovered it would be a crime, but then if you have got this far, you already have.

I rate the album 4 out of 5.