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West Side Kings - Glow of LoveShhh.... Listen. The West Side King's new CD transports you from meditation to feeling the beat, to moving your feet. A fluid fusion of rat-pack meets the groove, Glow of Love is aural seduction at it's finest, it's smoothest, it's most hypnotic. From the first cut to the last, you'll get lost in a trance of sounds blended together with seamless structure, yet stirred with flowing rhythms and captivating harmonies. Ummm ummm... Can you hear it? The underlying subtle but complex multi-layered vocals and melody grabs you from the start. "Cutting this album was a journey of the soul - my spiritual soul and my musical soul," said lead artist Funkmaster Scott. Originally from Detroit, home of innovative performers such as Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin and other great musical pioneers, Funkmaster blazed his own path while learning from the tossed-salad music industry of the Motor City. Funkmaster Scott engineered for some well known artists - including George Clinton, The Wynans, Carl Carlton, Charlie Wilson and the Gap Band, and Michael Powell. "I started playing drums at age 6, then moved to bass around age 12," explains Scott. "banging on the piano all the way." Glow of Love isn't the Funkmaster's first musical venture. Soul Circus Inside released on the former Ichi Ban records in 1995 did quite well for a first effort production. And let's not forget his involvement with the regional group the Funkanauts, out of San Francisco. Playing bass, keyboards and background vocals, Scott likes to keep in touch with his audience by performing live. The West Side Kings take the best of several genres of sound from multiple eras of music. If you listen carefully, you'll swear you're hearing a touch of Barry White bump up against some 80s techno-pop. Later, you're reminded of Sammy Davis, Jr. and you can just picture him singing this song with a haunting kinship to Brian McKnight. The style? Well, it's the soulful side of techno house. Reaching beyond the typical amalgamation of electronic sounds, Funkmaster describes techno-house as "putting a soulful style of vocals on top of the metallic, industrial wave along with a contagious beat." This style comes through the strongest in the song, "Something called Love." Intended to transport you into a metaphoric, spiritual place where you feel comfortable enough to express yourself with your dance, Glow of Love invites you to let go and let the music take over your feet. Glow of Love is like Noah's ark. A little bit of everything in one place. And when it lands in your living room, you're treated to a symphony of the best of all worlds. A little urban, a little funk and groove, a little futuristic and whole lot of style. Released March, 2007 and available through DetroitDigiSoul.com and WestSideKings.com. Marlene |