From: Jon Freer (jon-freer_at_excite.com)
Date: 2003-11-24 11:54:04
Reel People at Phonetics, Element Ponana. Saturday 22nd November 2003.
Much more cohesive than the over garnished full live band performance from Reel People at the Southport Weekender, vocalists Vanessa Freeman, Oli Lazarus and Shelley Nelson descended on Sheffield with the outfit’s soulful brand of spirit lifting music. Operating in a blurry area between deep house, broken beat and true soul music, Reel People understand the virtues of good old-fashioned songwriting. The venue was comfortably busy, yet not incredibly full bringing home the fact that despite their wonderfully accessible quality of their music, Reel People are essentially an underground name. It is certain they would appeal to many more and if marketed correctly, they could crossover into the mainstream, if only their label, Papa Records, had even a fraction of the budget of major imprints. It is an unfortunate fact and an injustice, that without such funds, they will remain in the sphere of clued up muso’s and DJs. Hopefully live performances such as the one witnessed in !
Sheffield will turn at least a few more people on to their music.
The threesome on vocals went down a treat, as they warbled their way through half a dozen outings from the much-applauded “Second Guess” long player. The credits on this album read like a who’s who of open-minded vocal, instrumental and production talent from West London to New York. Despite the puzzling absence of the extended assemblage’s vocal linchpin Dyanna Fearon, the trio who were present, skilfully and passionately performed songs that included the exuberant “Can’t Stop” and the beautifully glowing “The Light”. The advertised live trumpeting didn’t take place, but it’s quite possible it would have disrupted the flow of the vocalists and detracted from the excellent performance.
Afterwards, the Phonetic’s crowd were treated to a gloriously varied musical tapestry, and some brilliant vocal ad-libbing from Vanessa. Tracks of note included Oji & Una’s praising “We Lift Our Hands In The Sanctuary” and the Nu Yorican Soul touched key-led meanderings of “Song For My Brother” before soul-devoid elasticated D&B was rolled out towards the end.
Jon Freer(jon.freer_at_wrongsteps.com)
reviewer and writer for the following
websites and magazines: Blues & Soul Magazine,
FACT Magazine,littleplanet.net, City Life Magazine,
XLR8R Magazine, Keep On Magazine, pitchadjust.com,
beyondjazz.net, Store Records(Sheffield),
cratertechnology.com, vybemuzik.com, Steel Press,
deephousenetwork.com, offitsface.com, Sandman mag,
breakevencrew.com, overloadmedia.co.uk, funk-me.com,
Vanguard online, quadrastate.co.uk, spaced.co.uk,
beats.to, housecollective.org, capitolvibes.com,
www.selekta.com, djriri.com, universalsource.co.uk,
Inner Loop Magazine, housemuziq.com, undergroundhouse.net, worlddj.com,
mosoul.co.uk, discotribe.net, flygarictracks.com,
skansen.no, nwdnb.co.uk
planetsoulnetwork.com
allaboutdj.com
mundovibes.com...
Writer for:
Brique Rouge, Exceptional Records,
Foreplay Recordings,
Robsoul Recordings, Dust Traxx,
Spiritual Life Music and more...
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