First Listen: The duo Smooth Blend arrives with cool ballad
(November 28, 2024) Amid their individual journeys as independent smooth R&B singer/songwriters, Ty Juan Peavy and Shawndella Roberts have found time to bridge their like-minded artistry together in the name of everlasting love and life. Hence, Smooth Blend was born. Since the two established their partnership, SoulTracks has paid attention via several First Listens. In […]
First Listen: Rita Satch refreshes us with “Breathe”
(November 26, 2024) Get ready for a unique soulful experience from Down Under. Bursting freshly unto the music scene, Uzbekistan born and Melbourne-raised Rita Satch is making strides using an ardent vocal jazz style that’s resonating with fans all over the world. With notable appearances at Glastonbury and the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, while emerging as […]
First Listen: Sharon Rae North has a Christmas wish for love
(November 25, 2024) Sharon Rae North aimed to create – or re-create – a specific sound with “Everything I Ask For,” her swinging entry to the Holiday song canon. The key word here is “swing,” a word in the musical parlance is associated with jazz. North said she wanted to write a song that had […]
First Listen: Sargent Tucker “Unites The World” for Christmas
(November 25, 2024) Sargent Tucker wrote the song “Christmas Unites the World” from a deeply held desire to remind people that Christmas is the one holiday that can bring people together. “I have a unique desire to create music with purposeful, meaningful, enriching lyrics that brings people closer together, universally,” says the singer/songwriter. “Christmas Unites […]
First Listen: Will Downing slows down a classic 80s jam
(November 25, 2024) Like me, Will Downing was in his late teens and technically a man when Junior’s “Mama Used to Say” was released in the spring of 1982. Like all young people, Downing was ready to experience all that adulthood had to offer and not always trying to hear words of parental wisdom and caution. Downing’s […]
First Listen: Eric Roberson and friends funk it up for Christmas
(November 24, 2024) Eric Roberson’s “Santa Claus Is Coming” is a joyful journey to Christmas past that will remind listeners of fun and funky holiday songs that made us dance and laugh. “Santa Claus Is Coming” encompasses the joyous attitude of Bootsy Collins, the techo vocals of Roger Troutman and the swagger of Run DMC. […]
First Listen: Jonathan McReynolds and Smokie Norful seek the “King”
(November 21, 2024) When Jonathan McReynolds released his debut Life Music in 2012, it began a special treat for the Gospel world, that continued through five top appearances on the Billboard Gospel Charts over his first five full-length releases. Though he was initially shy in stepping to the microphone, McReynolds eventually grew into a multi-tasking […]
Angie Stone, Juanita Wynn and J. Brown shine together for Christmas
(November 20, 2024) Angie Stone can rightly say that she’s been a trailblazer since making her mark in the rap group The Sequence. That groundbreaking group recorded the first rap single by an all-female group. Stone has been making good music ever since, as a member of groups like Vertical Hold or as a neo-soul, Southern Soul […]
First Listen: Setoria is “Loved At Christmas Time”
(November 16, 2024) Setoria has made a name for herself in the Washington, D.C. area as a topflight R&B, contemporary jazz and soul singer. Her repertoire includes interpretations of hit songs, as well as her originals such as “Spell on Me” and “Say My Name.” She recently returned to the studio to record the holiday […]
First Listen: Julian Jonah and Robbie Love won’t say “Goodnight”
(November 15, 2024) Julian Jonah has been making the kind of music that draws people to the dance floor since the late 1980s, when his song “Jealousy and Lies” showed that House Music had grown beyond its Chicago roots. Jonah is still creating infectious, up-tempo cuts that liven up weekend nights. His latest song, “Let’s Not Say […]
