From: Bob Davis (earthjuice_at_prodigy.net)
Date: 2004-12-11 14:54:28
Cooly's Hot Box - Don't Be Afraid-Get On
(Nu Soul/Funk/Acid Jazz/Dance)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/coolyshotbox
<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/coolyshotbox"> Cooly's Hot Box - Don't Be Afraid-Get On </a>
"Don't Be Afraid-Get On" is the first new music in three years from NY based soul band Cooly's
Hot Box. It's a duo, with lead vocal duties being split between Angela Johnson and Christian
Urich.
One of the things I hate doing is making comparisons or analogy's between older artists and
emerging artists (this CD reminds me of the grooves of Creative Source, Soul II Soul, Loose
Ends, Chic, Narada Micheal Walden, Club Nouveau, Brand New Heavies, with just a hint of
CTI/GRP records). The reason why is that I always feel that I am shortchanging both. By doing
so, the older artist appears to be locked into some sort of a permanent "time capsule of
caterogization" and the emerging artist becomes "pigionholed". However sometimes I am compeled
to do so, because of the sheer limitations of text in trying to explain the basic idea of the
music that I am listening to. This music is what you would call "nice". Nothing super heavy
going on here, just some super nice original grooves, behind some nice group and individual
singing, that you can dance to or cruise down the road in your car with. However when is the
last time that you heard an album like that??? 10 years ago??, 20 years ago???
Isn't that a damn shame?
What does that say about the current state of Black music?
I realize that I am presenting perhaps more questions than answers, however I'll leave the
answers to Cooly's Hot Box. I have listened to this CD at least 4 times and each time at the
end I always walk away with the same thought about this album and that it's kinda like "ear
candy for the masses". I haven't heard a CD like this in a while and it makes me think of some
of the "good stuff" from the 1980's. Angela Johnson's voice is appropriately sultry in a way
that sounds like a refined gospel singer singing behind some slow burnin jazz/funk. Some might
be tempted to call this "acid jazz", however this music is far too earthy to use that term.
The song "Lose Your Friends" is my favorite song on the album, this song should be playing all
over the radio and should be burning up the clubs right now. It's got a serious dance groove
that you can't help but tap your toes to.
You can check out Cooly's Hot Box at the following link and listen to some of the sound clips
there for yourself.
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/coolyshotbox
<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/coolyshotbox"> Cooly's Hot Box - Don't Be Afraid-Get On </a>
Take a listen and post your opinion of what you hear right on their CD Baby site...
_________
Bob Davis
earthjuice_at_prodigy.net
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