(September 20, 2023) I’ve been digging the music of Alex Isley since she burst onto the scene about a decade ago. The Isley surname caught my attention because you can’t do much better than the Isley Brothers. The band founded by her uncles in the 1950s and reinvigorated by the addition of her father Ernie and uncles Marvin Isley and Christopher Jasper made numerous musical contributions to the soundtrack of my life.
However, Alex Isley maintained my attention due to her own immense talent that she developed over the years, which came shining through on her 2022 project Marigold. Now, in a bold move to take on the music of Sade, Isley has teamed with Terrace Martin, another member of a great musical family who has made name for himself as a multi-instrumentalist, rapper and in demand producer.
Their interpretation of Sade’s “Paradise” involves subtle differences from what can be heard in the original. The influence that jazz and funk music had on Martin can be heard in the edge that he places on the familiar bass line, as well as the deft improvisation heard on the guitar. Isley’s vocal performance is also very nuanced. It’s familiar yet distinct as she adds some jazz inspired improvisations into her performance. The result is a rendition that honors the original while possessing a sound all its own. Check it out here.
By Howard Dukes
Alex Isley and Terrace Martin
“Paradise”
