Gamble & Huff Veterans The Jaggerz Return to Blue Eyed Soul Roots with The Walk

Online, June 12, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Best known for their Number 1 gold record smash hit "The Rapper", The Jaggerz were discovered by the legendary soul music team of Gamble & Huff who produced their 1969 album "Introducing the Jaggerz". Andrew Hamilton of AllMusic.com calls it an R&B classic "Steeped in R&B, The Jaggerz are absolutely thrilling".

The Jaggerz return to their blue-eyed soul music roots on their new release "The Walk". Led by singer Jimmie Ross the Jaggerz bring their uplifting five part harmonies to their heartfelt arrangements of eight R&B classics and two updated recordings from their "Introducing the Jaggerz" album: the Gamble & Huff tune "Together " and The Jaggerz original "(That's Why) Baby I Love You".

BBC host Paul Miller played "(That's Why) Baby I Love" cut from the Jaggerz new release on his Soul Show the past two weeks and getting great response from his listeners. .

Paul Miller announced the Jaggerz song "(That's Why) Baby I Love You" saying: "This is something I know you're going to like. This is just brilliant..The release "The Walk" is something quite special...if you're anywhere near the volume control turn right up to the maximum please."

In the funky break up song "The Walk" Jimmie Ross sings to his fine looking long legged but black hearted cheating woman who has been jagging him around, "So long you did me wrong… You can walk your long legs, baby, right out of my life." Jimmie's passionate soulful voice and the Jaggerz moving harmonies shine on the love ballads "Love Won't Let Me Wait", "The Whole Town's Laughing at Me". and "That's Why Baby I Love You". Donna Groom of the Skyliners guest stars on a duet with Jimmie on the medley arrangement of " It's Gonna Take a Miracle/ I'm On The Outside". The band shows their skillful chops jamming on the uptempo "Move Across the River", "Stagger Lee", and "Having a Party" with great solos from renown piano man Hermie Granati, saxophonist Chris Patarin and guitarists Benny Faiella, Dennis McAbee.

Five time Grammy winning producer/engineer Jay Dudt of Audile Images crafted a rich warm full sound for co-producers Hermie Granati and Jimmie Ross's arrangements. It's an album of soulful old school tunes you can put on and enjoy from start to finish over and over again.

In 1970 the Jaggerz were signed by Neil Bogart to his Buddah/Kama Sutra label and released the album "We Went to Different Schools Together". It featured the smash hit "The Rapper" written and sung by Donnie Iris. The Rapper went Gold selling 2.5 million copies and rising to No. 1 on the Record World chanrt and No. 2 on the Billboard chart. The Jaggerz toured the country and appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. Two additional tracks "What A Bummer" and "I Call My Baby Candy" reached the Billboard Hot 100 and the album went to 62 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

The album's classic R&B tune "Memoirs of a Traveler" written by the Jaggerz was sampled by Wiz Khalifa, The Game, Slum Village and six other hip hop artists. Their 1975 album "Come Again" was released on Wooden Nickel Records. The Jaggerz also appear on recordings with Bobby Rydell, James Darren, and Wolfman Jack.

Formed by Donnie Iris and Jimmie Ross in 1965 the Jaggerz were Pittsburgh's most popular band before they went to national success. They broke up in 1975. Jimmie Ross went on to record and to perform with the Skyliners and the MCA Records duo Cooper and Ross. Donnie Iris and his band the Cruisers landed 10 singles in the Billboard top 100 including the hits "Ah Leah", "Love Is Like A Rock" and "I Can't Hear You". Hermie Granati recorded for A&M Records and opened 78 shows for Van Halen.

The Jaggerz reunited in 1989 led by singer Jimmie Ross and released the album "And the Band Played On" (1998) the Allmusic Guide proclaims: "Heartfelt soul music….that'll bust your heart" and the album "Re-Rapped" in 2001. The Jaggerz perform with founding members Jimmie Ross and Benny Faiella along with 1975 member Hermie Granati, guitarist Dennis McAbee, saxophonist Chris Patarini , and drummer Paul Martello.

Cuts from "The Walk" are being heard in the U.K. on The BBC Paul Miller Soul Show, Retrosoul Radio, The Right Track Soul Show on 94.4 fm Salford City Radio, the Northern Soul Show on 102.5 Bridge Radio, Ramjamradio.com, and Jazzysoul Radio in Australia and Africa, It is also being aired in the U.S. and the CD is being distributed in Japan.

"The Walk" is available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, Spotify and from The Jaggerz website.