Black Gold - Samples, Breaks & Rare Grooves From The Chess Records Archives (2016) Spectrum 2 x CD - Rare Soul/Jazz (FLAC)

Featuring a wealth of irresistible funky floorshakers and sumptuous tracks,including certified classics such as Marlena Shaw’s "California Soul",  "I Am the Black Gold of the Sun" by the New Rotary Connection, as well as rarities such as the never before reissued UK mix of "In The Basement" by Etta James and Sugar Pie DeSanto and "Shake It Up by The Vibrations".  This compilation is a real throwback to those great break beat/sample compilations (from Harmless, Strut, Mastercuts, WSM, etc) issued between the late 90's and the mid 2000's by which time the well had sadly seemed to have run dry for this sort of compilation. This set is definitely a labour of love with a lot of thought going into the track listing by the compilers (Chas Chandler & Dean Rudland) with a broad selection of tracks encompassing soul (Etta James, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Marlena Shaw), funk (Gene Chandler, Andre Williams, Alvin Cash, The Vibrations) and what can only be described as psych-jazz (Dorothy Ashby, John Klemmer, Eddie Fisher, Phil Upchurch, Ramsay Lewis, etc). Of course there is also the effective title track of the set, the harmony soul classic "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" with Minnie Riperton's distinctive tones clearly discernible in the harmonic blend. Many of these tracks were sourced for samples during the high water mark of hip-hop etc in the early 90's to early 00's period before the start of its gradual, sad decline. Some money has definitely been spent on the preparation of this set with a generous 2+ hours run time with 42-tracks over two CDs.  The music in the main is excellent that covers jazzy instrumentals with psych flourishes but very nice nonetheless. The vocal tracks are also very strong ranging from soul burners such as Etta & Sugar Pie's "In The Basement, Pt 1" to funk monsters such as Gene Chandler's "In My Body's House" (which is effectively a cover of Baby Huey's 'Hard Times') with plenty in between these extremes. Again something for everyone, Soul/jazz at its best with crossover tracks played on every scene in Black Music.

AMM 

                                                                       The Tasters!