PEVEN EVERETT レコード& CD

Review: Groovin' Records has a good relationship with Peven Everett. Over the years, the Italian label has released and reissued plenty of material from the legendary Chicagoan vocalist and producer. 'Bluelight Love' is brand spanking new - a superb, subtly Latin-tinged chunk of deep, soulful vocal house rich in jazzy guitar flourishes, organic-sounding percussion hits and dreamy chords. On the flip, Everett remixes it himself, opting for chunkier, bouncier drums, far weightier bass and a much more club-centric feel. The spacey synth solos that are a little buried in the A-side original version are far more prominent, too, while his superb lead vocal naturally takes pride of place in the mix.

Review: This tidy two-tracker brings together a couple of sought-after gems from one of the true masters of neo-soul and soulful deep house, Peven Everett. On side A there's a chance to cop hard-to-find 2010 single 'Heat Up', a Clavinet-heavy chunk of organic, soft-touch, up-tempo soul meets deep house brilliance in which Everett's effortlessly slick and smooth vocals rise above rubbery bass guitar, heady keys and tasteful beats. Head to side B for something never-before-released on wax, the much requested 'Fantasy Eyes'. More electronic sounding but still loose, warm and organic, it's a similarly inclined chunk of dancefloor goodness that once again boasts some superb lead vocals from the veteran Chicagoan.

Review: Is there a more positive, soulful and life-affirming dancefloor anthem out there than Roy Davis Jr and Peven Everett's 1996 jam "Gabriel"? As many will be aware, it has long been sought of as a classic, with soulful house, deep house, US and UK garage DJs all championing it back in the day. This white vinyl reissue boasts all of the mixes featured on the original 12". Perhaps the most famous version is the rolling, bass-heavy two-step flex of the "Live Garage" mix that opens side B, but there's plenty to set the pulse racing elsewhere. The driving, jazzy-but-stomping "Words To Give By" version has been annoyingly overlooked over the years, while the "Tambourine Dub" is deliciously sweaty and driving in the best possible way.