In Uncovered Soul Kosins (ASCAP awarded composer & lyricist) teams up with Kamau Kenyatta, the stellar long time producer of Gregory Porter, she will re-unite with her soulful and groove skills. A contrast to her previously released and highly acclaimed album, To the Ladies Of Cool, Uncovered Soul follows in the footsteps of Kamau Kenyatta’s three Grammy nominated, Gregory Porter projects. The Grammy nominated CD Water, the Grammy nominated single, “Real Good Hands,” from the CD Be Good and the Grammy Award winning CD Liquid Spirit. Uncovered Soul is based on a sonic worldview shaped by the interpersonal and musical landscape of Detroit in the late 60s and 70s. Uncovered Soul however, is not merely an urban reality: It is also the common thread that binds the relevancy of the words and music of Curtis Mayfield, Gene McDaniels, Bill Withers,The Neville Brothers, Amos Lee and Burt Bacharach to the present. Three original compositions were added to Uncovered Soul to provide a contemporary point of view.
Released 2018.
Band Personnel
- Eric Harland – Drums
- Kevin Axt – String and Electric Bass
- Mitch Foreman – Piano and Synths
- Munyungo – Percussion
- Greg Moore – (GMOE) Guitar
- Produced By Grammy Winner of “Liquid Spirit” ( Gregory Porter) Kamau Kenyatta
Track Listing
- Don’t Get Me Started
- Voodoo
- Uncovered Soul
- Ms. Martha
- The Downtown Lights
- A to B
- Dreamin’ / Dreamin’s Gonna Pull Me Through
- If Love Could Talk
- Can We Pretend
- Any Day Now
- Could You Be Me (featuring Paul Randolph)
- Seria Voce Como Eu (featuring Paul Randolph)
Listen on YouTube
Reviews
This new record from Detroit-based singer Kathy Kosins definitely falls into the “they don’t make records like this anymore” category.
Matthias Kirsch, GinaLovesJazz.com
Kathy Kosins sure has some stories to tell. During a career now well into its fifth decade, the Detroit singer, songwriter and self-described “hustler” has worked with [amongst others] Michael Henderson and Was Not Was, cut solo dance hits in the eighties, seen in the new century recording and performing vintage jazz, and now finds herself, in the spring of 2018, enjoying success across the UK soul-jazz scene with her widely admired indie album Uncovered Soul.
One of those intriguing tales explains how Kathy came to record her latest project with Gregory Porter’s pianist, producer and arranger, Grammy winner Kamau Kenyatta.
Chris Wells, Echoes Magazine
“I was coming home from a jazz gig in Sacramento in 2015 in my rental car,” she relates, immediately setting the scene. “I’m driving along listening to Capital Public Radio and suddenly I hear this male singer – no idea who he was – and I’m thinking, ‘Wow, what a great voice!”
…combines Kathy’s signature smoky and soulful vocals with a veritable melting-pot of accomplished and renowned musicians…
Pete Lewis, Blues & Soul Magazine
‘Uncovered Soul’ is sophisticated, sensitive soul and jazz delivered with commitment, artistry and respect for the genre. With production from Gregory Porter collaborator Kamau Kenyatta , this should be the album to deliver Ms Kosins to a wider audience.
Bill Buckley, Soul and Jazz and Funk
In the past, vocalist Kathy Kosins has delivered albums ranging from 50s vo-cool to modern soul. This time around, she teams with producer Kamau Kenyatta and sounds like she was dropped into a 70s Soultrain session. The team of Mitch Forman/key, Kevin Axt/b, Eric Harland/dr, Gregory Moore/g, Curtis Taylor/tp, Munyungo Jackson/perc and Kenyatta/p deliver a retro R&B feel that has Kosins singing with a vocal Afro. Vintage wacka wooka and string droplets from Moore’s guitar delver a mellow soul of “Martha” and Don’t Get Me Started,” with Kosins in strong and earthy voice. Spacey bell bottomed keyboards team up on “Voodo” and Kosins’ own “Uncovered Soul” while she sounds a bit Jarreau-ish when going jazzy with Kenyatta on “Can We Pretend.” She has a gospel growl on “Dreamin’/Dramin’s Gonna Pull Me Through” and gets passionately romantic on the platform shoes-d “A to B 5:11.” A pair of singles have Kosins in a funkied mood with “Could You Be Me” and the percussive “Seria Voce Com Eu.” All that’s missing is an intro by Don Cornelius.
George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly
“The Downtown Lights”, may be the best combination of singer and cover song since James Taylor sang “Handy Man” all those years ago.
Bill’s Music & More
With her latest solo album “Uncovered Soul” (Maristar Records, February, 2018), where the ASCAP awarded composer & lyricist teams up with Kamau Kenyatta, the stellar long time producer of Gregory Porter, she will re-unite with her soulful and groove skills. A contrast to her previously released and highly acclaimed album “To the Ladies Of Cool”, “Uncovered Soul” follows in the footsteps of Kamau Kenyatta’s production of Gregory Porter’s Grammy nominated CD “Water,” his associate production of Gregory Porter’s “Be Good” CD, and the Grammy nominated track “Real Good Hands” from the Grammy award winning “Liquid Spirit” CD. “Uncovered Soul” is based on a sonic worldview shaped by the interpersonal and musical landscape of Detroit in the late 60s and 70s. “Uncovered Soul” however, is not merely an urban reality: It is also the common thread that binds the relevancy of the words and music of Curtis Mayfield, Gene McDaniels, Bill Withers,The Neville Brothers, Amos Lee and Burt Bacharach to the present. Three original compositions were added to “Uncovered Soul” to provide a contemporary point of view. It is my hope that the beauty and accessibility of the arrangements and the vocal and musical performances transmit this feeling to listeners globally”.
Kamau Kenyatta