With his thoughts on Black Star, Serato, DJing in Ireland, his jazz project Liquid Crystal Project II, future collaborations and his home town Columbus, Ohio, Mr Rawls is a busy boy with a solid track record. Well worth another listen, check it out here:

That said, the stand out tracks were from the forthcoming album with his Columbus neighbour, Middle Child (aka Kenesha Coulibaly). The album kicks off with up beat ‘Til The Sun Comes’ (if only it would!) followed by the piano themed ‘Lovers On A Stroll’ and ‘Useless’. All three tracks are excellent jazzy soul grooves and ‘Lovers On A Stroll’ is a great warm up track.

Can the rest of the album be as good? Well there are a couple of indulgences, particlarly the Mayor of Columbus, Michael B. Coleman, giving the big ups to Middle Child on the introduction to ‘By Your Side’. And then the main ‘By Your Side’ goes into a Princesque guitar riff tribute and ends on a sung ‘sample’ of Sade’s ‘The Sweetest Tabu’ (one of my least favourite records ever). I think we can forgive this as it’s the only real blip. They are far better when she opens her soul on tracks like ‘Put Something In The Air’, ‘Can I Be Real’ and ‘My Dreams’ (2 versions) and he gets into music he loves, like the Latin soul of ‘Thankful’ (lets be grateful to Ronnie Laws, Azymuth and Ingconito) or beats of ‘Kick In The Door’ featuring rapper Wallabe.

Also, it’s a shame she didn’t do more rap, like the curtailed ‘Get It On (Get Ghost)’. And on the same subject, ‘Don’t Lock Me Drummer Up’ is so annoyingly faded out. What was Rawls thinking about?

The album ends on a high though with ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ and Benji B’s favourite, ‘Music Over Madness’ that’s got a roll call of the greats that have put music over madness (also check the Zero T remix over on BM Soho).

An album that can’t be overlooked, especially ‘Lovers On A Stroll’, but this is far more that a one track album and recommended listening.

Reviewed: J. Rawls & Middle Child - Rawls & Middle (Polar Entertainment) Cat. No. POLAR 007 Released: July 2008
Tracklisting:
1 Rawls & Middle (Intro) (1:33)
2 Til The Sun Comes (3:48)
3 Lovers On A Stroll (3:36)
4 Useless (4:00)
5 Can I Be Real (3:16)
6 By Your Side (Intro) (1:09)
7 By Your Side (5:00)
8 Kick In The Door feat. Wallabe (2:53)
9 Put Something In The Air (2:12)
10 My Dreams (4:57)
11 Thanful (3:57)
12 Get It On (Get Ghost) (1:40)
13 Don’t Lock My Drummer Up (3:38)
14 I’ll Be Waiting (Sophie Redux) (4:23)
15 Music Over Madness (3:59)
16 My Dreams (Reprise) (4:07)
17 Rawls & Middle (Outro) (1:44)

Links
www.j-rawls.com
www.jrawls82.wordpress.com
www.myspace.com/jrawls
http://www.myspace.com/middlechild
www.myspace.com/middlechild
www.rane.com/scratch.html Serato Scratch LIVE
Gilles Peterson :: 15th May 2008 :: J Rawls In Conversation & Hot Like Africa Mix
Rawls - ‘Beat 12’ (Test)
The Lone Catalysts & The 3rd - ‘Destiny’ (B.U.K.A Entertainment)
Black Star - ‘Brown Skin’ Instrumental (Rawkus)
Black Star - ‘Brown Skin Lady’ (Rawkus)
J Rawls feat. Middlechild - ‘Soul, Again and Again’
Rawls and Middle - ‘Lovers On A Stroll’ (Groove Attack)
Liquid Crystal Project II - ‘A Tribute To Dilla’ (Polar Entertainment)
Liquid Crystal Project II - ‘Retreat At Turnberry’ (Polar Entertainment)
J Rawls - ‘Beat 13’ (Test)
J Rawls and Count Bass D - ‘Shout Out: Ode To Vinyl’ (Test)
Beatnick ft Ahu - ‘I Know All The Bitches’ (Altered Vibes)
Cal Tjader - ‘Descarga’ (Fantasy Records)
J Rawls - ‘Beat 12’ (Test)
J Rawls & Middlechild - ‘Useless’ (Groove Attack)
Benji B :: 9th May 2008 :: Deviation
J Rawls & Middle Child - Music Over Madnesss (Groove Attack)