2 New Jai Alai 7" Releases - Willie Walker And The Butanes & Pete Belasco
Pre-Order Now For 10th September
2 NEW JAI ALAI 7" RELEASES - WILLIE WALKER AND THE BUTANES & PETE BELASCO
PRE-ORDER NOW FOR 10th SEPTEMBER
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ผ๐๐๐ - ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ / ๐พ๐๐, ๐พ๐๐, ๐พ๐๐ (๐ ๐ผ๐06)
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A double treat for those who love timeless Southern Soul flavoured with some of those good olโ down home blues.
Memphis born, and Minneapolis based, Willie Walker can comfortably be included in the pantheon of grittiest soul singers along with Wilson Pickett, Syl Johnson, Lou Rawls, James Carr, Eddie Floyd, Tyrone Davis and L.V. Johnson, to name but a few, but there has always been speculation about other Willie Walkers. The recordings on Eutor and Hi in the 70โs are not by the same Willie as those on Goldwax and Checker in the 60โs. He did, however, also record as Wee Willie Walker.
He was a member of The Rhythm Harmonizers, The Val-Dons, The Exciters, The Bound Band, Willie & The Bumblebees (although that Willie is actually Willie Murphy of The Val-Dons), and Canoise, spanning a long and varied career before hooking up with the Minneapolis based band The Butanes in 2004, with whom he made the next three albums. The first of these was mainly cover versions, but "Right Where I Belong" (2004) and "Memphisapolis" (2006) are notable for each providing the tracks that make up this latest Jai Alai release, a label that differs from sister label Soul4Real by featuring 21st century tracks previously CD only but now released on 7โ vinyl for the first time. It also has to be noted that all the tracks on both these albums were written and produced by Curtis Obeda, who managed to track down Willie after so many years.
"I Feel It" will have been missed by most as it was on the CD "Right Where I Belong" which was released in 2004 on the most unlikely of UK imprints, the Wirral based One On One Records run by Colin Dilnot. The album is a lavish display of real instruments from a band that once backed John Lee Hooker and Little Johnny Taylor and the perfect setting for Willieโs powerful vocals.
Just tipping five glorious minutes, "Cry, Cry, Cry" is a perfect example of why soul music is inextricably linked to the blues, and when the gospel styled chorus joins in towards the end, you realise that this could, maybe should, have carried on for just a little bit longer. Perhaps a fuller length version exists?
Sadly, Willie died peacefully in his sleep in November 2019, but to complete his story check out the two albums on Blue Dot as Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra. To quote the great Quinton ClaunchโฆโWillie was one of the best to come out of Memphis in the 60โsโ.
๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐
(๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ผ, ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ผ)
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๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ผ๐๐พ๐ - ๐๐๐ / ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (๐ ๐ผ๐07)
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๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ผ๐๐พ๐ - ๐๐๐ / ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (๐ ๐ผ๐07)
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Not a great deal is known about this talented artist having released only 4 albums in a recording career that started in 1993. Raised in a musical family by piano playing parents he began learning the instrument at an early age, later concentrating on the saxophone, but became a multi-instrumentalist by the time was signed to Verve Records, playing most forms of keyboards, synths, vibes, as well as sax and flute. He moved to Florida, from his native New York, shortly after graduating from studying music at university in New Jersey, and played in local rock bands whilst developing his love for jazz, and was working on a demo to try and get a record deal.
Disaster struck when he was involved in a serious boating accident in which both hands were badly crushed and he was unable to play an instrument for many months, during which time he developed a skill for singing and composing. Turning adversity into opportunity is the best way to describe the outcome.
So why is a soul label interested in releasing some of his material? Both tracks selected, "One" and "Sweeter", are released on vinyl for the first time and come from his third album, "Lights On", released on his own label Eaak Records following a break of 7 years which was devoted to raising his children. The sounds are undeniably late night make-out music, lush, sophisticated and sensuous.
The majority of plaudits for his work previously came from the world of contemporary jazz and, dare I say it, smooth jazz, and was largely ignored by the soul magazines and radio stations. His captivating falsetto vocal style, reflects his influences by Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye. All his material is self-penned and the albums were co-produced with drummer Guy Eckstine. There is an underlying 70โs feel to the contemporary arrangements and his work is clearly deserving of greater recognition.
๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐
(๐ฆ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ผ, ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ผ)
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Label design by Jordi Durรณ.
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐-๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ก๐ข๐ช ๐๐ข๐ฅ 10๐๐ต ๐ฆ๐๐ฃ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ
๐ญ๐ฐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ + postage as it follows:
1 to 5 copies: 6,90 euros UK & Europe
1 to 5 copies: 2,70 euros Spain
1 to 5 copies: 10,55 euros USA & rest of the world
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ & ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐:
soul4realrecordlabel@gmail.com
Check previous releases: www.soul4real.es
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