(February 27, 2018) Once upon a time, R&B grooves were earnest and organic, free from overdoses of auto-tuning and waxing rhapsody about flip-flops of the heart rather than (exclusively) on a mattress. Between the layers of vocals and live instruments, authenticity shined through, and that’s the type of feeling one recalls with “Greatest Dedication,” the latest release from Helen Bruner and Terry Jones.
Steeped in Philly-flavored sophistication and brimming with heart, “Greatest Dedication” is sprinkled with modern inflections here and there, but instantly recalls the starry-eyed, sassy proclamations of love that the newly-enamored are so quick to emote, with a twist of petty for good measure : “Don’t worry ’bout the past, cuz’ we’re gonna make this one last / Even though the haters gonna ask / Are they still together or did they break up too?”
A supple slow groove for Spring flings and beyond, Bruner and Jones’ “Greatest Dedication” is for those who like more subtlety and heartier vocals and don’t mind taking it back to, and reveling in, a more adult level of R&B.
By Melody Charles
Helen Bruner and Terry Jones
“Greatest Dedication”