Ward Brown - Soul Satisfied (2006)

Dedicated to the soul artists of the 70's this album comes hot on the heels of the debut set 'Labour of Love' and is picked up for release by the relatively new UK indie label, Soulchoonz Records. Out Of Illinois, Ward Brown's mission is to remind us of what soul music is all about and that he does in some style with this extremely strong set. Opening with the mid tempo 'You touched my heart' the album continues to mix smooth soul, elements of light funk and even melodic jazz into a distinctive laid back groove. No where is that  better illustrated than in the track 'Your Contagious' with its subtle piano break. Even when things get a little more uptempo with the harder latin style 'Me Around' Ward maintains a calculated and measured approach which is all about restrained yet real soul. Stand out track has to be the slow jam 'Rain'. From the moment that you hear the acoustic guitar you just know that this will be one of the highlights of the year.