Kathy Kosins ‘Uncovered Soul’

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Last Show: Wednesday 18 th April 2018

The Pheasantry (Chelsea)

ASCAP award-winning vocalist Kathy Kosins has won the hearts of critics and fans around the globe with her eclectic musical palette that expands the rich history of Jazz and Soul. Her debut performance at The Pheasantry is the London launch of her new album 'Uncovered Soul', on which the Detroit based singer Kathy Kosins is treading new paths and yet, returns to her roots as well. The songs from her masterpiece are little known jewels of soul music interpreted in her unique way. Joined for the two special evenings by Resolution 88.

"Kathy Kosins is one of the finest singers in the world.”

Don Was, President Blue Note Records

With her new album "Uncovered Soul“, Detroit based singer Kathy Kosins is treading new paths and yet, returns to her roots as well. The songs from her masterpiece are little known jewels of soul music. "I wanted to record lesser known tunes by well-known artists like Curtis Mayfield, The Neville Brothers, and Bill Withers.”

Kosins, born and raised during the legendary Motown years, has worked as a session singer early on in her career with notable artists including Was (Not Was), the band of current Blue Note Records president Don Was. She was also in-demand as a back-up singer and ultimately became a successful solo jazz artist.

With "Uncovered Soul", she teamed up with Grammy Award winning producer Kamau Kenyatta who is well-known for his  remendously successful work with Gregory Porter. With Kamau at her side, she could let her soul and groove basics run free. The songs on the album represent the musical landscape of 70s Detroit. She has masterfully found a way to transport this Detroit- Centric sound into the here and now. Songs like the Denise Nichols-penned "Can We Pretend", recorded by Bill Withers in the 70s, sound as fresh and rejuvenated as a current soul gem and "Miss Martha", one of the very last songs Curtis Mayfield recorded before his untimely death, is truly a piece of gold.

It is no wonder that Kenyatta raves about the songs: "It is my hope that the beauty and accessibility of the arrangements and the vocal and musical performances transmit this feeling to listeners globally.” Three original compositions have been added to  "Uncovered Soul” to provide a contemporary point of view. And he can rely on prominent support because the choice of musicians is sensational: Mitch Forman (keys, piano/Wayne Shorter, Gary Burton, Rickie Lee Jones), Kevin Axt (bass/Tierney Sutton, Patti Austin, Etta James), Eric Harland (drums/Charles Lloyd, Joshua Redman, McCoy Tyner) and Kenyatta himself make sure that the rhythm section is well-balanced from both the jazz and soul and funk side. Together with studio cracks like percussionist Munyungo
Jackson (Earth, Wind & Fire, Dianne Reeves, Stevie Wonder), guitarist Greg “G-Mo” Moore (Earth, Wind & Fire), trumpeter Curtis Taylor (Gregory Porter, Cyrus Chestnut, Antonio Hart), and background singer Darryl Johnson (The Neville Brothers, Jean Knight, Brian Blade), they come up with the perfect melange.

The three original songs were written together with hit songwriter Jeff Franzel: the magical title song with its irresistible hook, "If Love Could Talk" and "A To B" are all destined to become future soul classics. People like Gilles Peterson, Opolopo, Paul Randolph, and Theo Parrish, who have contributed fiercely exciting remixes, are all singing their praises. It is hard to pick highlights from the album which seems to be all of a piece. For those into ballads, check out the heartbreaking "The Downtown Lights", written by Paul Buchanan, head of 80s band The Blue Nile (one of producer Kenyatta's favorites). This gem is getting a "Voodoo" (The Neville Brothers) identifies Kathy's session background and "Dreamin" by Amos Lee showcases her excellent, candid taste.

"Uncovered Soul" is catapulting Detroit singer Kathy Kosins from Mainstream Jazz to groove- oriented soul. And the fact that she is
supported by Gregory Porter producer Kamau Kenyatta only makes this effort even more exciting and enthralling. 

"The album is with us at last [...] and the 12 tracker is, I can assure you, worth the wait. Worth the wait that is if you appreciate sophisticated, sensitive soul and jazz delivered with commitment, artistry and respect for the genre."
Soul and Jazz and Funk

Resolution 88
Since their last performance at PizzaExpress in Soho, Resolution 88 have made their début in prestigious jazz clubs in Madrid and Barcelona, signed to Splash Blue, and released their second full studio album, ‘Afterglow’. The band are excited to return to PizzaExpress courtesy of Shades of Soul, and will be performing two sets of their original music, taken from ‘Afterglow’, their EP ‘Press Play’ and their début album ‘Resolution 88’.