Southern Energy Ensemble

• LIMITED EDITION

London’s Strut Records continues it’s superb series diving deep into the vaults of Jimmy Gray’s now considered legendary Richmond, Virginia based label Black Fire Records with another highly in-demand reissue of Southern Energy Ensemble’s 1977 masterpiece Southern Energy.

Incredible from start to finish, this seven-track recording features a mix of jazz-funk, soulful spiritual grooves and melodies, heavy-hitting funk, and African-influenced percussion rhythms.

Led by trumpeter and vocalist Marvin “Dash” Daniels (who actually played with Lee Fields in the late 60s), the nine-piece band was made up of students from Virginia state College (half of the members were music students). For a few years, the group mostly played weekend gigs at clubs, universities and military bases in Virginia and North and South Carolina.

Remastered from the original tapes by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, the new reissue also features never-before-seen photos and extended liner notes by Daniels

PERSONNEL:

• Al Clarke - (alto & soprano sax, flute)
• Michael Pitt - (bass)
• Adolphus Maples, Tony Joyner- (congas)
• William Johnson - (drums, percussion)
• Nathaniel Lee - (piano, synthesizer, clavinet)
• Adolphus Maples, Al Clarke, Marvin Daniels, Michael Pitt, Tony Joyner - (shereke)
• Marvin Daniels - (trumpet. flugelhorn)
• Adolphus Maples, Garrie Wayne, Judith Spears, Marvin Daniels, Veronica Jones - (vocals)

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. Open Your Mind
• A2. F-U-N-K-Y ‘Til the Day I Die
• A3. Third House
• A4. Looking Ahead

• SIDE B
• B1. See Funk
• B2. Energy
• B3. The Best Part of Me / Southern Energy