Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing Jalen perform live knows that he is one of the most captivating performers on today's soul
scene. His voice, equal parts raw feeling and elegance, exudes
confidence and charm—disarming packed rooms of rowdy concert goers,
leaving them silent as they hold fast to every syllable sung. Plans for
the album were struck just months before the COVID 19 pandemic shut the
world down. Notwithstanding, Jalen eventually made it to Hive Mind
Studios in Brooklyn, NY where he began writing and recording with the
help of producer/arrangers Mike Buckley and Vincent Chiarito (both
members of Charles Bradley's Extraordinaires) and a crack team of a-list
musicians from the Daptone family. The team skillfully blends heavy
arrangements and introspective lyrics with motown sophistication,
leaving the listener in a blissful wash of wonderment.
Tracklist: 1. Come Around and Love Me 2. If You Don't Want My Love 3. Lost 4. That's All I Wanted From You 5. Please Show Me 6. Just Like You Used To 7. What A Difference She Made 8. Give Me Another Day 9. So Glad I Found You 10. It Takes A Fool 11. Rapture
In collaboration with Timmion Records, Daptone is proud to present My
Echo, Shadow and Me, the debut album from the soulful Chicano brother,
Jonny Benavidez. Hailing from San Diego (via El Paso, TX), Jonny's
desire to sing was influenced by his grandfather, John Lorenzo Guzman,
who as a teen in the early sixties spent some time harmonizing with
groups in El Paso–most notably Sonny Powell and the Night Dreamers. When
he was 13, Jonny was given a record player and a box filled with
R&B, Doo-Wop, and Soul 45s that he studied obsessively, employing
the harmonies and meloldies therein to cultivate his own unique voice.
After a chance encounter with the legendary Dimas Garza, Jonny's career
began to blossom and soon he would find himself singing alongside stars
like Eugene Pitt and Archie Bell–garnering the interest of Timmion
Records.
Backed by the incomparable Cold Diamond & Mink (Bobby Oroza, Pratt
& Moody) two incredibly successful singles were cut and plans for a
full length were struck, culminating in 11 original songs penned by
Benavidez. From the uplifting bounce of the title track, the doo-wop
dinged "Dedicated to You", the Latin flare of “Uncle Sam,” to the Sweet
Soul masterpiece "Somebody Cares" (licensed and released on a Penrose
Records 45), My Echo, Shadow and Me is not only
an aweinspiring display of Jonny's versatility as an artist but also
serves as a window into the eclectic array of soulful sounds that
inspired him to fall in love with music and become a singer. A must have
for fans of Daptone, Timmion, Penrose, et al.
Tracklist: 1. My Echo, Shadow and Me 2. Playing the Fool 3. Uncle Sam 4. Tell Me That You Love Me 5. Slow Down Girl 6. Dedicated To You 7. Somebody Cares 8. Do What You Wanna Do 9. Your Last Song 10. Let's Get Together 11. Dear Mother and Father
Soul singer Charles Bradley’s star has been on the rise since the release of his widely praised 2011 debut album No Time For Dreaming, and his ascent has continued long after the release of his triumphant second album, 2013’s Victim of Love. Dubbed “The Screaming Eagle of Soul,” the singer just announced his anticipated third album Changes, out now on Daptone Records.
The album is named for his popular, “smoldering” (SPIN) cover of the Black Sabbath track. Previously only available as a Record Store Day 45, “Changes” appears on the album and is available for purchase digitally for the first time. “I think about the lyrics very closely when I sing ‘Changes’ and get emotional,” notes Bradley. “It makes me think of my mother and the changes in my life since she passed away.”
Charles Bradley has also made a name for himself as a riveting live performer. He’s taken his show to venues and festivals across the globe including Coachella, Glastonbury Festival and Primavera Sound. Bradley’s also performed on famed stages including the Apollo Theater—the same place he saw his idol James Brown perform when he was 14 years old, and the Beacon Theatre where he’s separately supported The Tedeschi Trucks Band and the Afghan Whigs.
By now, Charles Bradley’s remarkable, against-all-odds rise has been well documented: how he transcended a bleak life on the streets and struggled through a series of ill-fitting jobs before finally being discovered by Daptone's Gabriel Roth. The documentary Charles Bradley: Soul of America, directed by Poull Brien, follows Bradley’s extraordinary journey during the electrifying and transformative months leading up to the release of debut album No Time for Dreaming. The year following the release of No Time For Dreaming was one triumph after another and Victim of Love saw Bradley emerging from his past heartaches stronger and more confident, overflowing with love to share.
Tracklist: 1. God Bless America 2. Good To Be Back Home 3. Nobody But You 4. Ain’t Gonna Give It Up 5. Changes 6. Ain’t It A Sin 7. Things We Do For Love 8. Crazy For Your Love 9. You Think I Don’t Know (But I Know) 10. Change For The World 11. Slow Love
