Lovers of classique-focused soul, funk, and R&B with a contemporary hip-hop-ish flair need look no further than Brooklyn’s Big Crown Records. The first half of 2017 is proving busy for the label, with part of the activity a string of six 45s; the participating artists are The El Michels Affair, Miles Bonny, Sunny & The Sunliners, Lady Wray, The Demands, and Lee Fields & The Expressions. Blending vibrant new material with sharp reissues, it’s a hot half-dozen sure to enliven a DJ set, deepen a jukebox’s worthiness, and most importantly enhance an evening at home. The Demands and the Lee Fields are out May 5; the rest are available now.
It’s fitting to begin this survey with The El Michels Affair. Headed by label co-founder Leon Michels, his group/ project’s latest 45 is essentially a teaser for Return to the 37th Chamber; out April 14, the disc is a sequel to 2009’s similarly Wu Tang Clan-centric Enter the 37th Chamber (which came out on Michel’s Truth and Soul imprint). Newbies might be thinking of starry-eyed hommage, but the first record’s strong showing was the direct result of live collaboration with various members of the Wu Tang.
The A-side here productively extends the connection, magnifying the Wendy Rene sample (from her ’64 soul nugget “After Laughter (Comes Tears)”) that distinguishes the Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) track “Tearz.” Here, the refrain from the source is not sampled but sung repeatedly, Shannon Wise altering Rene’s soulful edge in favor of the breathy sweetness marking her work in The Shacks.
This is not to suggest a lack of funkiness; there’s a killer drum passage, a faithful rendering of Booker T Jones’ organ from Rene’s original, and a superb vocal turn by Lee Fields. Heavy Wu Tang heads will recognize the flip’s “Verbal Intercourse” from Raekwon’s 95 solo effort Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, a track noted for a guest spot by rapper Nas. Featuring spooky organ and a horn line recognizable from the original, this instrumental rethink would’ve fit nicely onto one of those 5-track CD EPs so common in the ’90s. And that’s cool.
As is clear from its label, Miles Bonny’s 45 isn’t on Big Crown proper. Plane Jane is the venture of Michel’s label partner Danny Akalepse, so both “Hello Jesus” and “High Enough” fit into this progression without a snag. Miles Bonny’s been active since the early part of last decade, largely in the hip-hop field, though on this 7-inch he dishes a potent strain of electro-soul as he adapts a pair of songs from…no, I shan’t spoil it.
Longtime Bonny fans might be able to guess, but let’s just say “Hello Jesus” has its roots in the ’70s as gospel-tinged socially conscious lyrics glide over a non-slick techno-groove of slightly more recent vintage. The B-side explores harder and stranger territory, presenting a driving yet rigid beat, recurring strands of keyboard, spurts of Bonny’s trumpet and vocals that fit the title. Altogether, it’s a nifty little platter.
The Sunny & The Sunliners 45 is the first in a pair of ’60s-’70s reissues. Rather than a straight repressing of an earlier 7-inch, Big Crown has nabbed numbers from different discs by this long-running and quite productive San Antonio-based outfit, though the advanced vocal group action derives from the latter portion of the 1960s. “Should I Take You Home” is from ’69, in fact. The interplay between lead-man Sunny Ozuna and his backing singers explores finesse over grit, but the richness of voice combines well with the crispness of the instrumental delivery and the no-frills production.
“My Dream” is even smoother, but less so in comparison to the original by the Harvey Averne Dozen, in large part due to bright horns and an unusual but effective and intermittently arising metal-on-metal clanking rhythm. Like the plug side, this is the stuff of a romantic evening indoors, but the blend of Tejano music and American soul (as outlined in Big Crown’s promo text) keeps matters from ever getting snoozy. Watch for a full Sunny & the Sunliners compilation later in 2017.
Lady Wray’s Queen Alone was one of this writer’s picks for best of 2016, so this swank picture-sleeve 45 carries a twinge of disappointment, as “Underneath My Feet” and “Guilty” are album tracks. Then again, both are amongst the LP’s standouts, the A-side fruitfully lingering between a swamp rock and a bluesy place before diving into a crisp pop-soul framework; Wray soars in the closing moments. “Guilty” thrives on a massive beat, hearty lead vocal-backup interplay, and an emotional edge that never becomes leaden. Stick these into your DJ set and watch the whole room light the fuck up.
Sunny & the Sunliners visited recording studios with regularity and even managed a few chart hits, but fellow Texans The Demands (from Dallas) are rather obscure; this seems to be their only appearance on vinyl, cut in 1973 after a name change from The Fabulous Furys, but with a decided ’60s-ish sound. This is partially down to modest audio circumstances, though noted Texas engineer Phil York successfully captures all the ingredients.
This 7-inch makes it clear The Demands weren’t trailblazers, but they did have a firm handle on their sound, which isn’t a bit surprising as they were a live act (continuing in that capacity until 1989). “Say It Again” successfully mines the breezy vocal group dynamic that recurs throughout this batch of Big Crown 45s, but “Let Me Be Myself” slows the tempo and delivers a strong dose of soul purge. As originals apparently change hands for 600 clams, picking up this reissue would seem to be a no-brainer for soul aficionados.
The verve of “Let Me Be Myself” serves as a solid prelude to the finely-tuned forcefulness of Lee Fields & The Expressions. Like Lady Wray’s effort, both sides of this platter are culled from Fields’ 2016 full-length, but it’s ultimately no matter; Special Night is approximately as outstanding as Queen Alone, and in an earlier era both LPs would’ve produced at least three singles a piece.
This one holds up to the classics of yore without strain. “Never Be Another You” blends sweetness and oomph, Fields deftly handling diverse emotional terrain as the Expressions continue to be amongst the best soul acts in the business. “Lover Man” travels a more directly funky route, though the singer’s soul panache remains at a high level.
That it’s the new material attaining the peak of quality in this welcome spate of short-players underscores the distinctiveness of the whole endeavor. Leon Michels and Danny Akalepse aren’t peddling facsimiles of the past; Big Crown is now.
The El Michels Affair,
“Tearz” b/w “Verbal Intercourse”
A-
Miles Bonny,
“Hello Jesus” b/w “High Enough”
B+
Sunny & the Sunliners,
“Should I Take You Home” b/w “My Dream”
A-
Lady Wray,
“Underneath My Feet” b/w “Guilty”
A
The Demands,
“Say It Again” b/w “Let Me Be Myself”
B+
Lee Fields & the Expressions,
“Never Be Another You” b/w “Lover Man”
A
