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You may recall the original of Michael White’s ‘Blessing Song’ was picked by Gilles Peterson for Pure Fire! A Gilles Peterson Impulse! Collection. I found it hard to understand how some reviewers dismissed this track as the worst on the CD. Well perhaps they were more Latin dance folks. And if so, this version by the Shirley Eubanks Ensemble will definitely meet the bill.

Build An Ark did a proper spiritual jazz cover of ‘Blessing Song’ on their Kindred Spirit album so it’s no surprise that DJ Adrian Gibson (Freestyle Records/Messin’ Around) picked this one out for the 12” release.

And you can trust him to pick another on the flip, a classic of the jazz-dance scene from London to San Francisco, originally by Rusty Bryant, the hot as hell ‘Fire-Eater’. The Sexteto Excelencio gives it a suitably Latin makeover with loads of percussion and big horns.

Both tracks will be on Black Feeling as this label gets really busy this summer with albums out by Manteca and Speedometer.

Reviewed: Shirley Eubanks Ensemble / Sexteto Excelencio — ‘Blessing Song’/’Fire Eater’ 12-inch (Freestyle) Cat. No. FSRT047 Release date: July 2007
Tracklisting:
A Shirley Eubanks Ensemble — The Blessing Song
B Sexteto Excelencio — Fire Eater

Links:
www.freestylerecords.co.uk
www.myspace.com/freestylerecordsuk
www.speedometer-funk.co.uk
Various — Jazz Dance Classics 1 (Luv N’ Haight) Luv N’ Haight Recordings, 776 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 Tel/Fax: 415.252.5766 www.ubiquityrecords.com