News/Reviews-Groove Kings

Winner: 2010 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards: Group of the year.

 

“What a surprise! Fifteen years after their last independently released album, this Montreal duo of multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Howard Forman and singer Irene Marc roar back out of nowhere with a third release (Blood Red) overflowing with up-tempo R'n'B, breezy jazz tunes, catchy pop-rock and smouldering ballads. After a very long hiatus, the two have teamed up once again and released a collection of tasty, groove-driven songs. Geared to adult radio, Groove Kings don't disappoint. Marc possesses a gutsy, full-bodied voice full of passion and verve, while Forman masterfully crafts each song with a finely tuned ear. This is certainly an extraordinary return”.
**** Montreal Hour/Ottawa Xpress, Martin Siberok

 

Groove Kings: What’s Real. Montreal R&B duo Irene Marc and Howard Forman kill on this bar-band slammer. With Marc’s amazing, rough-and-ready voice deftly navigating the classic-rock verses and a memorable soul-drenched chorus, this is irresistible. Available on: Blood Red. Hear it at www.groovekings.ca.
Bernard Perusse-Montreal Gazette

 

“Rich in classic soul and R&B sensibilities, the Groove Kings serve up plenty of sultry sonic gems on their latest CD Blood Red...Ultimately, the magic of this disc springs from the fruitful collaboration between Marc and Forman. A better creative duo, particularly in their chosen genres, is tough to imagine”.
Red Deer Express ****4/5

 

“Howard Forman and Irene Marc make some mighty fine smooth R&B here. The album is called Blood Red, and this track (Chore) is a fine example of how it’s done. Anybody having trouble finding good Canadian content these days is just not paying attention”.
Bob Segarini-www.fyimusic.ca

 

"...lead vocalist Irene Marc sings with such a fierce conviction that it shatters you
to the core."
www.popjournalism.ca

 

“Groove Kings are simultaneously cutting edge and approachable; each track on this album could (and should) make it onto rotation throughout the United States and abroad”.
Album : Blood Red. Top Tracks: Temporary Man, Bury Me
Rating: 8.2/10

 

NeuFutur Magazine

“Blood Red” by Groove Kings is a keeper! It not only bridges old-school and the current vibe of the genre, it subliminally pushes the music forward.
Jersey Beat - Phil Rainone

 

Groove Kings are back, picking up right where they left off with stellar writing, outstanding musicianship, and a voice, in Irene Marc, that will stop people in their tracks.
Wildy's World Rating: ****

 

“Howard Forman jammin’ away on guitar and Irene Marc belting out the vocals make up the heart and soul of Groove Kings.  These two musicians seem to have a special connection when it comes to creating a musical groove.  The combo between Forman’s precision on guitar stacked with Marc’s passion at the mic = a slam dunk! “
**** 4/5 Skope Magazine-Boston

 

“If Santana and Aretha Franklin had a musical lovechild, they would’ve named it the Groove Kings”....”From the bluesy Blood Red to the soul-infused Real Love, the Montreal-based Groove Kings deliver a poignant soundtrack for the summer that is chill, relaxed and contemplative all at once”. *****www.youthink.ca

 

"Powerhouse lead vocalist Irene Marc and multi-instrumentalist Howard Forman, prepare the way for a rock-infused, bluesy soul workout that canonizes the torchy ‘70s rock of Santana and the soulful gusto of a modern Stax record on their latest indie project Blood Red. "
-J. Matthew Cobb, SoulTracks-Recommended

 

…”they have a very driving mix of R&B, Blues, Jazz, Rock and Lounge that is unique all to themselves”.
-Music Emissions

 

“Expect to hear a good deal more from this dynamic duo. Howard Forman is a triple threat, and Irene Marc was custom designed for his talents”.
-acousticmusic.com

 

“...female blues fans, in particular, will enjoy the oft-romantic, occasionally wistful style of the Montreal-based duo. Vocalist Irene Marc does an exceptional job. Recommended!”
-The Edmonton Sun

 

“It’s been fifteen years since their last independently released album, but the Montreal-based band Groove Kings have suddenly re-emerged from the shadows. After you listen to their new album, “Blood Red,” it makes you feel like those fifteen years were much too long to have had to wait.”
-Elmira Independent

 

”Blood Red is a solid affair from beginning to end. Hopefully it will be their breakout release and gain them some popularity south of the Canadian border.”
-The Daily Vault B+

 

“This is a CD that is one to take the listener to a different place from song to song. It is escapist in that regard, and we all need that at times. Nicely done indeed.”
-Yorkton This Week

 

"Forman has a feel for classic soul and R&B forms and some of the stronger
songs here,...funky Burn It Down or Moon To Moon, Sun To Sun, wouldn't sound out of place on a Stax or Atlantic album from the late 1960s"
-The Globe and Mail National Edition

 

"Amid the post-Nirvanic squalor (comes) The Groove Kings' polished R&B
groove, highlighted by singer Irene Marc's powerful, soulful voice...avid listener response from across the country is undeniable. . ."
-Montreal Mirror, QC

 

"Forman has cooked up a stew of rock, soul, big band; served with Marc's gutsy singing, it's a meal that'll have you calling out for seconds and (the heck with the diet) even thirds."
-The Hour magazine, Montreal, QC

 

“The songs are strong pop tunes in an R&B vein, with many of them radio-friendly. Tell Me, the lead single, has already made a bit of noise on the RPM Hit Tracks chart , and one or two more charted songs isn't out of the question. Marc is a tremendous singer, sort of a cross between Annie Lennox and Janis Joplin, and her rough-edged tone gives the songs just that right amount of character”.
-RPM

 

"...the songs by guitarist Howard Forman are bright and blustery (oh how I wish a big up tempo song like Never Gonna Give Myself Away could get played on the radio so I could crank up the volume in my car) ..."
-The Kingston Whig-Standard, ONT.

 

"I can listen to the Groove Kings until I die"
-The News at 6, CBC-TV Toronto

 

'It's wonderful music...if we could have a house band, we decided we'd
like to have The Groove Kings"
-The Dini Petty Show -CTV, National

 

"Them's whatchtya call great pipes...She has got a beautiful voice...Boy can she sing..."
-MIX 96, Montreal, QC

 

"What a voice, wonderful, you guys are soooo good...buy it (CD Into The Groove Age) you'll play it over and over, you'll wear it out"
-Entertainment Desk Global-TV, Toronto, ONT.

 

"This (Everybody Knows) is so cool, man. It's like, amazing. Does the bitch really look good in real life?"
-Grainstore Tavern, Melbourne, Australia

 

"Cordes vocales sablees avec soin par la vie, eraillements signifiants,
puissance et maturite remarquables. Irene Marc est certes une chanteuse de premier ordre"
-La Presse, Montreal, QC

 

"...une voix de blueswoman comme celle-la (Irene Marc) ne s'oublie pas..."
-Le Devoir, Montreal, QC

 

"...your Hot' CD...yes!!, I liked it very much... Your playing and producing has surely arrived!!! I have nothin' but praise as well for Irene's incredible vocal performance..."
-Jimmy Johnson, legendary studio guitarist for Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon
and many others..