Charms France-Lise
Givin’ It Up / Pour Moi Ça Va

Club culture in France would have been different if not for Micky Milan (real name Milan Zdravkovic). He is one of the true trailblazers of what is known today as French Boogie.It all started when he was the in-house DJ of the highly popular club L'échappatoire in the Parisian suburb of Clichy sous Bois. In those days, he was well connected with Champs Disques, back then, the hippest record shop located on the Champs Élysées and had privileged access to the best imported U.S. 12" thus making his club the undisputed stronghold of disco funk.A significant fact is that he is one of the very few French artists signed on the legendary U.S. Salsoul record label with the song "Quand tu danses". Teaming up with funkateer and close friend François Feldman, the track was recorded with Feldman on keyboards along with the Gibson Brothers on percussions, drums and keyboards, a French group, originally hailing from Martinique and Kamil Rustam who later went on to work to the who&who of soul and funk music adding his powerful licks of funky guitar. The influence of Lamont Dozier of "Going back to my roots", fame is that of a tutelary god all over these tracks. The goal behind this EP is to highlight Micky Milan’s multifaceted musical talents, from disco funk to jazz and synth pop. The record contains two tracks never previously released on vinyl, the groovesque “Paris amour” built on guitar riffs carrying the sexy voice of Alexandra and the instrumental version of "Quand tu danses"; epitomizing the essence of funk and the power of a sound on par with the American productions of the time. Hail to the pioneer.

Favorite Recordings proudly presents Deux, second album of French Jazz-Funk quartet Aldorande. In this new chapter, the four explorers pursue their interstellar trip on the Aldorande planet, deploying their ever deeper love for the 70's Jazz-Funk & Fusion scene. Extending their first visions of this new world, the bigger-than-life arrangements of this second album reflect again their high attention to dramatic narrative schemes, breezy Brazilian vibes, tempestuous funky grooves and strong cosmic melodies from outer space. Classic and contemporary at the same time, Deux is built for the like-minded souls still looking for the perfect beat.Twisting time and space but never forcing the groove, the band dives more profoundly into the Cortex influence of their compositions, with intense female back vocals fitting perfectly into their cinematographic vision. Like a cry in space, could these esoteric incantations be heard by Aldorande's divinities? Or will they be more impressed by the super-tight rhythm section with its bangin' basslines or an irresistible blend of drums and percussion? In the end, they probably would have to surrender after hearing the infinite echoes of the synthesizers and horns reflecting in the atmosphere. Deep and thoughtful, the travel has only begun but it seems that so much has already been experienced. Breaking the code, they opened the gates to a rebirth. One that could be only accomplished by finding the “Pierre des Mondes”, deeply buried somewhere on Aldorande - the only key to solve the riddle of the groove. Mission accepted.You'll find in Aldorande some of the best French jazzmen including bandleader and founder Virgile Raffaëlli on bass (Setenta & Joe Bataan, Camarão Orkestra), Florian Pellissier on keys (Iggy Pop, Setenta, Cotonete & Di Melo, …), Mathieu Edouard on drums (Chassol, De La Soul) and Erwan Loeffel on percussion (Camarão Orkestra, 10LEC6). On this album, they took the initiative to invite two guests on some tracks: AOR singer Al Sunny and killer guitarist Laurent Guillet (Le Soldat Rose, Setenta).

“These eight musicians are an unfailing combination of pleasure and precision. (…) Together, their strike force is undeniable. And as each one of them has the chance to shine on their own, the “wow!” effect is magnified. These guys seem to be having the time of their lives. And when you see the fans on the ground floor jumping and dancing, their pleasure is contagious.”"Soul Therapy for Montreal, ready to spread worldwide" MOJO "One step forwards, with its lucid 70s style rhythm recalling George Clinton or Sly Stone." Clash Magazine

For the 4th edition of our Southern Sounds Series, focusing on the forgotten legends of Soul, Funk and Rhythm & Blues, we decided to hit the road to the mythical city of Nashville, Tennessee.This musical headquarter has been a playground for the colorful Larry Birdsong, one of the most beautiful voices of Nashville’s R&B scene golden age. Such a great voice that some people predicted him to a stunning interstate career. History unfortunately has proved otherwise; despite his ability to fit with any genre, whether it’s Jazz, Gospel, Rock’n’Roll, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul, this musician with a predestined surname (Birdsong) never made it as expected, however he delivered some high quality recordings, made with a lot of dedication.Larry was born in June 1934 to a 11 children family, in a place called Pulaski, a small town located in old deep rural Tennessee. Music was everywhere at the Birdsongs and before his 21th year, Larry was already one of the top acts of the Sugarhill club in Nashville. Ted Jarett, one of the big figures of Nashville’s recording industry, also noticed him and signed him in as an underage musician, to close a first deal for the Excello’ imprint in the early 50’s. He was later followed by a bunch of local records companies like Home of the Blues in Memphis and Ace Records in New Orleans, to name just a few.Up to the middle of the 60’s, Larry surfed from Rock’n’Roll to Rhythm & Blues and finally, at the end of the decade (up to 1973), he landed on the waves of Soul, even Funk, when he was backed by prestigious musicians like Johnny Jones or Buford Majors, as compiled on this volume.Although Larry Birdsong never reached any national or international charts, this versatile singer kept on singing until he passed away in 1990 (or 1983 from some sources), leaving behind him these singles that EALZ! Records are once again very proud to release, so that you just have to spin it on your record player.