Leroi Conroy: A Tiger’s Tale [Album Review]

Leroi Conroy
A Tiger’s Tale
Colemine Records [2025]

“Leroi Conroy’s debut album shows he can hang with the big cats.”

Album Overview: Colemine Records has been at the forefront of the modern funk and soul movement for over a decade, releasing dozens of albums from the likes of Durand Jones & The Indications, Black Pumas, Monophonics, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, and many more. Along the way, Colemine head honcho Terry Cole has sprinkled in his own musical contributions, most notably with The Jive Turkeys’2009 LP Bread & Butter. But now he’s ready to strike out on his own with the release of A Tiger’s Tale, his first solo album under the Leroi Conroy alias.

Musical Style: As you might expect, A Tiger’s Tale is an encapsulation of the classic Colemine sound. Organ and keyboard flourishes meet jazzy brass and laid-back guitars, with a funky rhythm section holding it all together. The vintage textures—recorded at Colemine’s Portage Lounge studio in Loveland, OH—recall soul and jazz-funk classics but also have some subtle modern touches too.

Evolution of Sound: One way that A Tiger’s Tale stands out from the Colemine pack is the hip-hop influenced drumming (courtesy of Rob Houk), which gives it a modern edge while also serving as an homage to the funk and soul break beats that birthed the genre in the late 70s. It’s also a subtle tribute to Colemine’s earliest releases, which included a few (CD-only) hip-hop albums.

Artists with Similar Fire: Fans of the other acts on Colemine Records—especially the instrumental ones like Ikebe Shakedown or Surefire Soul Ensemble—should find plenty to sink their fangs into with A Tiger’s Tale, as will fans of fellow instrumental soul and funk artists like Surprise Chef or Menahan Street Band.

Pivotal Tracks: “Tiger Trot” is an early standout, with its Latin-tinged trumpet and sax melody backed by some tasty wah-wah guitar. “Abiding” is another highlight, with its heavy backbeat clattering along behind some electric piano, sax, organ, and trumpet interplay that calls to mind Miles Davis’s electric period. Closing track “Exitus” ends the proceeding on a somber note while recapitulating some of the earlier songs’ themes, and features piano from Monophonics’ Kelly Finnigan and guitar from Parlor Greens’ Jimmy ‘Scratch’ James.

Final Groove: A Tiger’s Tale is a labor of love that maintains a cohesive vibe while offering enough diversity from track-to-track to keep listeners on their toes. Cole’s sonic fingerprints are audible throughout the Colemine catalogue, and A Tiger’s Tale distills that aesthetic into a tight nine-track song cycle. Unsurprisingly, it sits comfortably alongside the rest of the label’s output and whets our appetite for whatever Cole happens to cook up next.

LEROI CONROY LINKS
Instagram | Bandcamp | Colemine Records