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"Carl's Garage and House Website"

Blaze, New Jersey, Usa -The Overview

The Review/THe Overview...
Truley A..BLAZING!

I decided that I had had enough of waiting for Kevin Hedges to send back his Interview questionaire returns I had sent him on the subject of past, present and future concerns on the group known as Blaze. I have decided that I process enough knowledge about the group from buying many of their records over the years to make a worthly review of them myself.

Blaze are a group that I have admired for years within the Soulful House brigade. To me Kevin Hedges and Josh Milan have sometimes made their brand of Soulful House music so good, that at times it should be considered for disscussion like many Classical music pieces from artists such as Mozart, or Strauss! They in my opinion, typify what "Garage is" in the truest sense of the word.

Going under a number guises in the past they have released classics such as "One Kiss", "Fantasy", "Hideaway", "If I should need a friend", "Keeping my mind", "So Special", " Can't win for losing you", "Share", "Losing My Mind" etc

My first introduction with Blaze actually came when I brought an album that I still treasure today called "Paradise Regained." It featured some classic cuts from the group like "Blazing", "Stardust"; (remember them!) and other cuts from other artists produced or written by Blaze once again! Basically the album was a showcase that tried to take the listener back to the spiritual motherland within club terms which was the Paradise Garage Club, New York City! Blaze where chosen for a majority of the tracks because they resembled the sounds and choices that the clubs main Dj Larry Levin would have chosen playing during its heyday!

However, during the year of 1992, Blaze released their first album called "25 years later" which featured them playing a number of Black music styles from Jazz to Soulful house, and from Rn'B music to a few covers! I've still got my copy that is tresured to this day. To me the album had one single that glowed from it, it was called "So Special"

However, the album didn't sell, which lead to one member of the group Chris Herbert leaving! Not to be detered. the other two remaining members embarked on a direction that would take them on a course of working on a number of small New York Independent record labels such as Sumo and Shelter records

It is within this period of their musical lives we witness them appearing under a number guises that are now apart of our staple diet for us die-hard Garage/House lover Names such as Alexander Hope, Cassioware, Black Rascals, De'lacy fail to fool those that really know the music. Once you've heard a Blaze track, disquises such as using different names prove fruitless. It is also within this period that we then witnessed them working flat out on other peoples projects. Such as Adeava, Lisa Mansfield, Jommanda and the dj mixing team Cold cut from England.

What I think that makes Blaze stand out for the others within this frame of music is the addition of installing Soulful grooves with many of their releases.

For instances take their recent released single, "Love comes around" featuring Shelia Slappy, on Simplex Records,USA. On listening to it you would believe that it came out of the early to middle 1980's. It really does remind me of that period where songs were not prepared for the hands in the air type of mentality; but for grooveability, or being able to sing along to the song.

Blaze at the moment are starting to get the recognition that was long overdue in my opinion. For instances, remixes of their song are starting to multiply. Last year we had Farley and Heller via the group called Fire Island, UK remixed and revamp an old classic their's called "If I should need a friend". Another old classic of their's is "Moonwalk" which has been given the same treatment by the group called Nuphonic. And finally we saw the Deep Dish Boys take the original Blaze song "Hideaway" and made it into probably the biggest dance track of last year!

However, with all this in Blaze's favour then why aren't on everybodies lips? Well, the problem is the .... Masters of Work!

It seems that everybody and everything is being eclipsed by the Masters of Work, Dj team such is their popularity. This could be sign of their greatness, but on the otherside of the coin, it could also be harming the music that we love. I am now learning that certain djs who have turned into making Deep House/ Garage tracks have added that by trying to sound like Masters of Work this could guarantee them a single release, or even album deal!

Being pupils of the Larry Levin style of djing. One can see where they gain their attitudes as regards to making music is concerned, and also not forgetting Djing. Dj's then were not just given 2 hours sets in order to get your to get in all of your best tracks within the time schedule. No, then you were expected to play for up to 4 to 5 hours a set where you could experiment and hone you skills more. Incorporating sounds from other fields of music, or other sounds in general such as Thunder and Lightening! in the process.

Blaze are now in the process of deciding to enter into the field of becoming a music distribution company, where they will give music producers of today a better deal as regards to promotion, publishing rightsand their own record label. But we'll have to wait and see what develops with this idea!

Anyway failing that they can always go back to doing what they do best. Making killer grooves and timeless songs for us..........

If you have any comments that you would like to make here regarding the nores that I have made about this group, then please do so below via Email!

carl@garage-music.com

carl@anglianet.co.uk

What is Garage? || What is Deep House ||
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