Daddy B. Nice’s CD Reviews December 2020

December 1, 2020

Year-End Wrap-Up: Overlooked Albums From 2020

COCO WADE — Get Up And Dance — SOLID *** 

This is a very smooth and groove-oriented album, with all the songs unusually similar in chording and tempo. Longtime southern soul fans may remember Walter Waiters and his album Just Me featuring
the singles “Don’t Scratch My Back” and “Careful Woman,” which worked the same chords and melodies to impressive effect. Coco Wade’s dominant singles are “He Working Me (Over)” and “Get Loose”. Even Wade’s vocals hew to a sexy, understated, bedroom undertone. What the set suffers in sameness is more than compensated by the unfurling serenity of its kindred melodies.

Buy GET UP AND DANCE.

UNCLE WAYNE — The Birth Of Hithm & Bluez Vol. 2 — SOLID *** 

Uncle Wayne’s Volume 1 of Hithm & Bluez was high on urban R&B and short on southern soul. The talented singer/songwriter’s tastes still reside in mainstream R&B, but Volume 2 has a lot better material, highlighted by his previously-recorded ballad, “Somewhere,” the mid-tempo zydeco jam “Shake” and the stirring “I’m Free”. The stepping song “Soul Stroke” illustrates the contradictions of Uncle Wayne’s style: interesting but bereft of any southern soul technique.

Buy THE BIRTH OF HITHM & BLUES VOL. 2.

R&B POOH — The Prince Of Trailride Blues — DISTINGUISHED **** 

This young disciple of Jeter Jones and producer Ronald “Slack” Jefferson scored a hit single with “Out In The Country”. He also accomplished an enviable coup in co-starring with Jeter Jones and Sir Charles Jones on the now-classic “(Soul Brothers) Moonshine”. Pooh has an unconventional voice for southern soul, somewhat like P2K, under-stated, fresh and youthful. But he has a nose for good melodies and benefits from Slack’s southern soul touch. The riveting “Swangin” joined “Out In The Country” as a Daddy B Nice Top 10 Single.

Buy THE PRINCE OF TRAILRIDE BLUES.

CHUCK ROBERSON — The Clean-Up Man — SOLID *** 

This is the album that’s been mentioned a couple of times on Daddy B Nice’s Corner. One thing’s for sure, musically you’ll find all of the southern soul memes, motifs and derivations Uncle Wayne (above) wanted nothing to do with. Chuck has always been a reliable reflection of whatever is current in southern soul music, although as he’s aged the emulations are sounding a bit more forced. In fact, Chuck Roberson is so southern-soul old-school he can’t/won’t sell his album online through any of the major music-sellers. He blames CD Baby’s now defunct website, a great loss to all of us, for the lack of distribution. But fans who want to buy the longtime, Florida-based, southern soul journeyman’s THE CLEAN-UP MAN can do so by calling his label Cruise On Records at 850-643-2100.

–Daddy B. Nice