Review: Originally released in 1972, these are the only known recordings from Tulsa soul band Outback. The A-side is an eclectic, psychedelic funk ballad with lyrics drawn from religious scripture and drawing powerful parallels to Black slavery in the U.S. They lend a deeply spiritual and socially conscious edge to the track which is potent in groove as it is message. The B-side, 'Reggie's Thang,' takes a different turn and is a raw, psychedelic instrumental showcasing the band's musical range and experimental edge. Together, these are a time machine back to powerful moments in soul and funk history, now rediscovered and sure to be appreciated all over again.
Review: Steve Okonski, known since 2022 under the shortening Okonski, is a scholar of the hard and soft knocks of American soul, having served so far as the in-house pianist for the brilliant hip-hop and soul quintet Durand Jones & The Indications. Three years on from his dazzling debut solo record Magnolia, this entrancing follow-up hears Okonski team up again with his fellow Durand Jones collaborators Aaron Frazer and Michael Isvara. This is a properly twilled, blissful, piano-led jazz opus, best defined in the auctorial fells of 'October', the seasonal builds of 'Summer Storm' and/or the yearning love objects 'Dahlia' and 'Penny'.
Review: After two years, Steve Okonski returns under his surnamed solo alias Okonski, providing a sequel to the debut record Magnolia (2023), with another rapt jazz album for splayed-fingered piano. Long known as a contributor to the hip-hop and soul group Durand Jones & The Indications, Okonski's solo works are only somewhat grazed by soul music by comparison; they prefer to bask in pleromae of muted sound, recalling the evangelic solo spirituals of Julius Eastman, except for the fact that they are set against boughing bass movements and room-reverb beats, whose rhythms are sporadically upset by the drummer. Described as "a little more nature-based" compared to Magnolia's streets-of-NY feel, this one has an unpredictable naturalism about it.
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