Tuesday, July 18, 2006

It's "R&B" Time: Walk on Judge!

The Soul Partners - Walk On Judge

I have been going to "Rhythm & Booze" since the fall, and I have come to conclusion that what makes it so great to me is that it's like going to church and school for soul music. Just hearing that great soul music (and having a few libations) makes me a very happy fellow indeed, but learning of great soul records is even better. Tim Lawrence and all of the other guest DJs (Georgia soul maven Brian Poust, the "Electrophonic" Brian Phillips, Kurt Wood, et al.) have much larger collections and a knowledge base than I, so I never leave "Rhythm & Booze" without a song or two or three scribbled on a piece of paper to seek out.

Today's selection was one of those recordings. I don't recall whether Tim or Brian Poust played it, but the funky instrumental just knocked me out. As noted in this It's Great Shakes post, the tune was originally released on the Columbus-based Holiday label before being picked up by Bell for national distribution. I don't know anything about the group, but I surmise that if the record came from Columbus and eventually was released on Bell, perhaps the "Moss" in the production credits is Columbus disc jockey Bill Moss, who would eventually form the Capsoul label (the subject of the Numero Group's initial Eccentric Soul compilation), and whose "Sock It To 'Em Soul Brother" and "Number One" also earned national release on Bell. Whatever the history of the record is, it's a sure-fire funky jam, featuring a cheerful sound, great guitar work, and a fun-but-too-short breakdown.

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