Like already stated on the review for Shirley Brown's Woman Enough album, soul music that pays tribute to its roots is still with us even though you may have doubt it with the success of neo soul or urban music.
Vick Allen is a new name to me, but Vick isn't really a newcomer. He grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, and began singing and playing piano at the age of 5. Some of you may recognize him as producer for artists like Bobby Rush, Gospel Greats, The Canton Spirituals, Peggy Scott-Adams, Toni Green or Willie Clayton.
With the aptly titled Old School...New Flava it's time for Vick to step into the spotlight and to bring us a very good record that combines the best of the old school with modern day production techniques.
Vick's debut album is full of good songs and just a great listening pleasure thanks to his impressive, smooth voice.
The opener, Hold On, is a driving things-can-only-get-better-song with a memorable hookline and a nice harmonica solo by Bobby Rush.
Wrong Place Wrong Time is an instant winner for my ears, story-telling soul music with a fine vocal performance by Vick.
But Vick comes up with more hightlights like the funky I Better Walk Away, again a catchy piece of story-telling music.
Like Shirley Brown on her recent album Vick also teams up with Rich Cason for two songs. Clean House is another good example how Rich combines traditional soul with today's sound. The result is a bluesy midtempo song. Like the title Marry Me suggests this is a sung proposal of marriage aptly done as a ballad.
Vick also delivers some cover versions, like a pleasant update of Ray Parker Jr's Mr. Telephone Man or Van McCoy's Giving Up. The latter is done very solid and Vick does the song justice but for me he can't beat Donny Hathaway's version (which of course is always difficult).
Bobby Womack's A World Where No One Cries on the other hand is again more convincing and features Sonya Allen as guest vocalists.
Songs like So Sweet So Fine, I'm Going Home and Let's Dance round off this fine debut album, that's really worthwhile for lovers of more puristic soul music.