Run by Zell Sanders, the J&S label was a very small New York company that nonetheless released quite a few R&B, doo wop, rock & roll, girl group, and soul discs in the 1950s and 1960s, even in the absence of notable commercial success.
J&S Harlem Soul concentrates on the soul-oriented singles they put out in the 1960s and early '70s, which are pretty rare even by the standards of major soul collectors. Even the two artists here who did have hits,
Johnnie & Joe and
the Jaynetts, are represented by obscure 45s cut long after their flash of fame. The production on quite a few of these tracks is on the bare side, to the point where some of them sound like demos (especially Jimmy Armstrong & the Pins' "I Want to Be Close to You," where virtually the only accompaniment is a spooky gospel-ish organ). These obscurities are largely competent slices of various shades of '60s soul, though there's not a single cut that stands out as a notable find. The label's fairly prolific and varied output, however, is a testament to Zell Sanders' stubborn perseverance in the absence of tangible reward. Compilations such as these certainly do a service to soul fanatics who couldn't find or hear most or all of this otherwise. ~ Richie Unterberger