The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan – What Can We Do?
This gets off to a pleasant soulful start with shades of Muscle Shoals-era Steve Cropper with nice horns in the tradition of Tower of Power & The Meters. Good charts, sophisticated, & controlled performances. Nothing outlandish in an Average White Band or Chase approach. It isn’t Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears; this is more refined, cool, collected & with bold dynamic vocals & disciplined horns.
“Still Smellin’ Smoke” opens the 12-track, 7th album from Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan – What Can We Do? (Dropped July 24/Nola Blue/47:23). It’s a San Francisco-based 12-piece band produced by Larry Batiste (vocals/bgv) & recorded in Oakland, CA. Even the balladry is concise. No overbaked arrangements, wild soloing, or mushy stuff typical of ‘70s soul/pop. This is far more entrenched in the spirit of the retro-soul music they attempt & succeed in conveying with warm tones, organ runs, bright horns & ebullient lead vocals by Willy Jordan – all with character.
OK, Willy’s not as fiery as Otis Redding, dramatic as Jackie Wilson, as smooth as Sam Cooke, or deep & powerful as Levi Stubbs, but I said Jordan has character & it shoots out like a geyser on many tracks such as “Too Late.” The only minor flaws are some lyrics. They’re dragged through cliché mud. But songs like this require a narrative style so they can be forgiven.
The arrangements color each tune & the expressive musicians lay down solidly on their musical tarmac. Instead of flashy wah-wah guitar, lots of deep-toned guitar. The upbeat tunes are nuclear danceable like the instrumental “Bigger Guitar.” Big band/Swing tradition with a touch of ‘50s dance party. Anthony Paule’s guitar fires on all cylinders & cooks. Assisted by a brief Jerry Lee Lewis hot piano solo by Tony Lufano, a trombone blast by Derek James & a trumpet peel by Ethan Pires. Wonderful.
There is a well-played but campy, novelty-oriented climate change title tune among the more sophisticated numbers. It’s loaded with old-fashioned vocals, repetition & more cliches. Why? I don’t mind the message, but it sounds out of place among the other finer-tuned compositions. “If It Ain’t One Thing It’s Two” sparkles. One of Willy’s best vocals. Then a good falsetto vocal on “Walkin’” in the style of Angelo Bond (“Bondage”) from 1975. Overall, a satisfying album.
Highlights – “Still Smellin’ Smoke,” “Too Late,” “Bigger Guitar,” “The Heart Never Says Goodbye,” “Secret,” “If It Ain’t One Thing It’s Two,” “Walkin,’” & “Blue Mood Indicia.”
Musicians – Anthony Paule (guitar), Tony Lufrano (Hammond B3/grand piano/Wurlitzer), Timm Walker & Endre Tarczy (bass), Bowen Brown & Kevin Hayes (drums), Charles McNeal (tenor sax), Johnnie Bamont (baritone sax/flute) & Rob Sudduth (baritone sax), Omega Rae & Nona Brown, The Sons of the Soul Revivers (bgv), & John Otis (percussion).
A 12pp stitched lyric insert included in the 6-panel CD package. Color image courtesy of their Facebook. CD @ https://www.anthonypaule.com/