Without question, there are more than a handful of folks that doubted that Disco would still be relevant yet here we are thirty years later and Disco still has a home in the hearts of many. You can thank artists like Al Kent for giving it the respect it deserves. Fresh off his project with the Million Dollar Orchestra, Al pays tribute to the genre and the DJ’s that made the music so beloved by many and a lightning rod for others with “Secret Sounds”. Al starts things off with an intro for an advertisement for hustle lessons, the featured dance from the early seventies that everyone tried to master with varying degrees of success. This is followed up with the synth flavored disco track “I like it”. “Come back home” is a soulful tune due in large part to Tyrone Taylor on vocals and laced with strings that would make Vince Montana proud. This is arguably the best track on the disc. Normally I don’t get caught up with interludes but in this case it does provide a service in paying respect to the DJ’s in general and to pioneers like Jellybean Benitez and Tee Scott in particular. The impact they had would set the tone for all the prominent DJ’s of today. Other notable tracks include “Get Funky” starts out with a simple keyboard melody before sequeing into a funky disco stomper with horns. “Reverb is your friend” is a sublime mid-tempo track that isn’t quite a disco track; instead it’s a lovely reverb instrumental that could fit nicely into any lounge today. The disc concludes with the percussion laden “Tenner Rap”, a surefire disco jam floor filler. Al Kent’s love for disco is unsurpassed and if you ever loved the music, you’ll appreciate his dedication and no doubt enjoy “Secret sounds”.
