Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 11/04/2003
Jamiroquai's volume in the influences series
Late Night Tales dovetails nicely with the loose-groove party
funk Jay Kay and co. have made a specialty since debuting on England's
acid jazz scene in 1992. Spanning the twin towers of late-'70s
R&B --
disco and
quiet storm -- the mix includes plenty of sexed-up
R&B from
Leon Ware (
"What's Your Name"),
Rufus & Chaka Khan (
"Once You Get Started"),
Kleeer (
"Tonight's the Night"), and
Skyy (
"Here's to You," an unexpected gem). Still, having much to prove to jaded music fans and facing a steadily shrinking pile of rare grooves thanks to mixes like these,
Jay Kay doesn't succeed in creating a truly diverting mix.
Late Night Tales functions best as slinky background music to introduce a night out, or as a time capsule of pleasant yet mostly unimportant period music.
Kay gives the compilation much-needed character, though, with a pair of changeups: a Liverpool band named
the Real Thing, whose
"Raining Through My Sunshine" was a personal favorite, and the underrated
José Feliciano, whose
"California Dreaming" is the track closest in vocal performance to
Kay himself (alas,
Stevie Wonder is nowhere to be found here).
~John Bush, All Music Guide
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