Title: Straight At You Artist: 2unes Year: 2007 Length: 0:45:01 Genre: Smooth Jazz
North "Tunes" Woodall, a name, a message, a promise. The Jackson, Mississippi born musician had his first contact with his guitar in the early age of 11. Leaded by heroes like Ernie Isley, Santana and Joe Walsh he quickly developed his own style of performance. His amazing repertory of songs coined his name Tunes.
He worked with greats such as the Ohio Players, Roger Troutman and Zapp, Roy Aires, Millie Jackson, Tom Browne, and Will Downe. Currently, Tunes is playing with the Uptown Entertainment Band that he co-founded and is working hard in his Home Studio on new projects. After his debut album Hot And Cool (2005) now follows his sophomore album Straight @ You (2007), which showcases besides some covers five original compositions.
North has a special feeling for grooving tunes. Everything what you like in the world of good old Funk and R&B, you re-found it on this album. The album starts with a cover version of Rock Steady. Composed by dream-team "Babyface" Edmonds, Reid and Watson the original was released by the Whispers in 1987, a huge hit. While Rachael Thomas lends his strong vocals and keeps the connection to the original, North adds his own flor of funky guitar.
North shines on his own composition Sweet Baby. A infectious song with a high hooking factor. Featured musician on this tune is saxophonist Eugene Hunter. On the second half of the tune North adds a Wah-effect and give it some edges. Priceless!
Going In Circles is another gem of R&B history. Friends of Distinction had a chart- breaker with this ballade in 1969. A vibrant melody with a feeling of exhilaration.
All I Need Is You is featuring female singer Anna Sullivant, a talent with a great appeal. Her vocals and North's cool guitar loops level the tune to a really catchy record.
I he really heard the monster hit Rain Forest by Paul Hardcastle in many versions, I count even 19 (!) versions of Hardcastle himself. I never expected that another musician would cover this washed-out tune. Anyway the result is respectable.
When you listen to North's own composition like M.V.P., you will not find a difference in the quality to the covered songs, what speaks for North's compositional talent.
Kem is a new singer on the horizon of R&B. Although his first album Kemistry had a decent success of more than 10.000 sold copies, he didn't earned the great success which one can await after listening to his music. One of his greatest fans is certainly North who covered Kem's song Find Your Way which was published on Album II (2005). Good stuff!
Personally I prefer the up-tempo tunes like Just Add Water, which was composed by North's friend Randy Hoexter. Pianist and composer Randy Hoexter has been at the top of Atlanta's jazz scene for more than fif years and recently released his critically acclaimed debut album Radiant. Randy plays all instruments, while North performs his great Wah-guitar. Randy arranged together with North all songs on this album and was also executive producer.
Café 290 is featuring trumpet player Ryan Jackson who is a master of the muted trumpet. Randy Hoexter's keys perfectly fits into the atmosphere mostly playing in chords. While North performs the melody in single notes with great vivacity.
The last tune of North's album is a cover of Let's Groove Tonight. A song of Earth, Wind & Fire, one of the tightest Funk Band, the world has ever seen, released on their album Raise! (1982). A chart-topper newly polished by North with some vocoder effects.
Straight @ You is exactly what the title says. This album makes fun and cheers you up in the right way.
01 Rock Steady (04:11) 02 Sweet Baby (04:32) 03 Going In Circles (05:20) 04 All I Need Is You (04:33) 05 Rain Forest (04:19) 06 MVP (03:54) 07 Find Your Way (04:33) 08 Just Add Water (04:09) 09 Café 290 (04:08) 10 Lets Groove Tonight (05:21)
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