LOUIE VEGA 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Vega Records presents Elements Of Life Extensions, the live orchestral project of label chief Louie Vega. For the project's first volume of reworks, the new tracks "Messin' About", "Our People", and the unreleased mix of "Love Is On The Way" are ones not to be missed, in addition to a wide range of talents have been especially chosen to give their take on tracks from the album. Masters At Work sidekick Kenny Dope's take on "Cerca De Mi" (with Raul Midon), Joe Claussell on the spiritual perspective of "Sunshine" (as Scared Rhythm) and a respectful remaster of the Candido classic "Thousand Finger Man".

Review: Some of Masters at Work man Louie Vega's greatest full-length projects have paid tribute to New York's 50-year dance music story, as well as his personal musical inspirations (most notably the Nuyorican Soul album he penned with long-time production partner Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez in the 1990s). Expansions in the NYC, his latest epic excursion, treads a similar path, offering a large number vocal-heavy numbers that not only blend elements of disco, boogie, proto-house and house, but also feature some genuinely high-profile vocalists from that era (think Peech Boys' Bernard Fowler, Unlimited Touch). Vega also joins forces with 21st century house star Honey Dijon on the superb 'Feels So Right', while the hook-ups with Moodymann, Kerri Chandler and Joe Clausell are as inspired as you'd expect.

Review: This fine double-pack features more alternate takes of tracks from Louie Vega's vast Expansions in the NYC album. The headline attraction is the epic extended mix of the Rod Temperton penned jazz-funk/disco classic 'The Star of a Story', which not only boasts fine lead vocals from Lisa Fischer and shuffling samba-house beats, but also strings (arranged by Leroy Burgess) performed Kelley Polar and his colleagues in the Apple Hill quartet. The EP also includes instrumental and chunky 'Vamp Dub' passes of that track, plus alternative versions of two other tracks: the organic deep house roll of 'A Place Where We Can All Be Free' and a superb string-laden dub of 'Love Has No Time Or Place', featuring Vega's Elements of Life band, which showcases the orchestral arrangements of Leroy Burgess and the late Patrick Adams.

Review: The Master at Work that is Louie Vega has been a music-making machine all his life but in recent years has continued to reach new heights with various different projects. Here he is back on regular label Nervous with various different versions of his tunes 'Joy Universal' and 'Igobolo.' 'Joy Universal' (feat Two Soul Fusion) is classic Vega - soulful house music awash with Latin influences, loose-limbed percussion and funky basslines. And that template is tweaked over the ensuing tunes, with glorious pianos, jazzy grooves and tropical rhythms all making for a fine EP.

Review: Tucked away on Louie Vega's fantastic - and vast - Expansions in the NYC album were a handful of tributes to disco legends Patrick Adams and Larry Levan. This double-pack brings those tributes to the floor. Vega opens with his Elements of Live band cover of Sine's Patrick Adams-produced 1978 B-side 'Chimi', turning the four-minute cut into a driving-but-bouncy, near 14-minute disco epic rich in restless bass, attractive vibraphone solos and spacey synths. On 'Change Your Mind', which is presented in both full vocal and instrumental forms, Vega recruits the voice of the Peech Boys, Bernard Fowler, and turns down a sparse, heavily electronic workout reminiscent of Larry Levan's early '80s mixes. It's genuinely great, as is the DJ Spinna-sporting, hybrid disco/organic house cover of Adams' classic 'Atmosphere Strut'. In a word: essential!

Review: For his next album project, the Master at Work that is Louie Vega links with Luisito Quintero, a veteran percussionist who has played with La India and others in the New York scene. He is as creative and original as they come and fuses afro-Latin rhythms and bossa nova sounds into fresh new forms and now serves up Part One of his Percussion Madness album. It ranges from seductive deep house to swaggering Stevie Wonder style funk via irresistible afro beats. Luisito has shared the stage with Robert Plant, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys and more, but deserves just as many plaudits for his own solo work.

Review: Having long since made enough money to retire, Louie Vega has spent the last few years developing his Elements of Life project - a kind of all-star band that blends global rhythms with elements of soul, disco, jazz and, of course, house. While early releases on his own Vega Records imprint were a touch ham-fisted and noodlesome, this second full-length oozes laidback spirituality - like the Masters at Work Nu Yorican Soul project taken to its logical conclusion. There are some joyous moments amongst the Latin percussion and treacle-thick soul vocals, from the Rotary Connection-goes-jazz of "Barbara Ann", to the Afro-Cuban soul-jazz of "Love is You".

Review: Released the same week as his retrospective on King Street, Louie Vega is currently reminding us of who the boss is. And with such a warm, wide-armed creative vision, no one's going to argue. Take this; his first Elements Of Life LP in almost eight years. Armed with full live band, it's a nonstop adventure into Latino, Afro, R&B, house driven by organic, orchestrated grooves and supersized production values. Highlights include the raw Afrobeat and sweet jazz fusion of "Overtake Don Overtake Overtake" and Josh Milan's sugar-sweet harmonies and lyrical depths on the neatly mirroring opener and finale "Children Of The World" and "Dream A World". Beautiful.

Review: One of the musical highlights from Louie Vega's NYC Disco album, "Rebel Nation" is a collaboration between grammy award winner Louie Vega, legendary multi-platinum producer Patrick Adams, and Nulu Records president, international DJ and artist Anane. Patrick initially had the idea for the song after seeing a recent Star Wars movie. Louie saw the vision of what it could ultimately be with live music additions, and Anane added the inspired lyrical content and vocal performance. In Louie's own words, "I call Anane a chameleon, because she transcends so many different sounds with her voice. She gave the track just the right feeling vocally. It's a very punk-rock approach; the kids speaking out, all kinds of people making the statement, Get Up! Stand Up! Let's Rise! Rebel Nation."

Lauded critically and on dancefloors worldwide in its original album version, the track has now been given the all-star remix package treatment with contributions from Danny Krivit, Carl Craig, Soul Clap and Felix Da Housecat X Chris Trucher.

Review: Given the length of his career, it's rather surprising to find that Starring XXVIII is the New York house veteran's debut solo album. As the title suggests, it's an all-star affair, with each of the 28 tracks - stretched across two discs - featuring a guest vocalist or collaborator. After fusing P-funk and house with the help of Funkadelic, the Masters At Work man rolls through organic, Latin-tinged deep house, Nuyorican Soul style goodness (with a little help from former Soul II Soul singer Caron Wheeler), intergalactic dancefloor soul (alongside Viktor Duplaix), boogie-house brilliance (a tasty version of Leroy Burgess and Convexion's "Let's Do It"), jazz-funk, and luscious downtempo grooves ("Stop On By").

Review: We're prepared to argue with anyone on this, but Universal Robot Band's "Barely Breaking Even" is one of the best boogie-era disco records ever made. Its title was also the inspiration for the name of BBE Records, so it seems fitting that the label's 500th release is an all-star re-recording that brings together NYC house hero Louie Vega and original creators Leroy Burgess and Patrick Adams. Vega delivers vocal and instrumental versions of two distinctive passes: a slick, smooth, soulful and string-laden "Boogie Mix" rich in warm electronics and subtle nods towards the early '80s original, and a rolling "NYC House Remix" full of twinkling Fender Rhodes solos and atmospheric chords. As you'd expect, Burgess' re-recorded vocal is superb.

Review: Earlier this month Louie Vega reissued his 2006 full-length collaboration with Luisito Quintero, a veteran percussionist who has long been part of New York's vibrant Latin fusion scene. Here he delivers 'Part Two' of the same project, a shorter but no less essential collection of percussion-rich Latin dance music gems. Opener 'Acid' is a high-quality traditional salsa gem, while 'Four Beat Mambo' does exactly what it says on the tin, with a killer double bassline rising and falling beneath Quintero's killer percussion. 'Son Montuno' adds a little deep jazz-funk flavour to the percussionist's infectious rhythms, while 'EOL Intro (Clap Your Hands)' is an up-tempo fusion of deep house and salsa that has long been a staple in the sets of Vega's Elements of Life band.