First Listen: RAHBI calls for “Change” in return
(December 10, 2024) Love is in short supply in our world, or at least it seems that way. Hatred, discord and dysfunction seem to be constantly rewarded to the point that people who talk about love are viewed as being hopelessly naïve and out of touch. It’s that view that inspired singer Rahbi’s latest single […]
First Listen: Helen Bruner and Terry Jones will “Testify”
(December 8, 2024) “Testify,” the new ballad by the Grammy nominated songwriting duo Helen Bruner and Terry Jones, is viewed as a wedding anthem. There’s good reason for that. Bruner and Jones express the sentiments that make “Testify” the kind of song that can be played as the wedding party walks down the aisle or even […]
First Listen: Sy Smith helps The Unit give Christmas love
(December 6, 2024) New Christmas Standards, a holiday album released by The Unit, slid by mostly unnoticed amid the blizzard of Christmas singles and albums released in 2022. That’s a shame because this diverse record by the Los Angeles based band that backs Sy Smith is an energetic amalgamation of artists singing original holiday tunes in styles that range from […]
First Listen: Eric Benet and Chanté Moore are “Distracted”
(December 4, 2024) In the selfie-obsessed, photo-filtered and auto-tuned era we dwell in, it can be more challenging to figure out what an artist is selling us, so to speak: a powerful voice with a mediocre stage presence, or a run-of-the-mill set of pipes with smoldering charisma to distract from their shortcomings? Anyone can drop […]
First Listen: The Honey Cone returns after 50 years with new single
(December 3, 2024) A lot of musical history went into the making of Honey Cone’s cover of the Eurythmics’ 1983 hit “Here Comes the Rain Again.” First, this is the first Honey Cone record in more than 50 years since Shelly Clark, Edna Wright and Carolyn Willis were topping the charts with songs like “Want Ads” and […]
First Listen: Al Lindsey wants to “Try” again
(December 2, 2024) For years, artists have used their music to address the problems of the world and the hopes of fixing them. Classic examples like “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye) and “Wake Up Everybody” (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes) still resonate today. Even though issues in society persist, a level of healing can […]
First Listen: The legendary Detroit Emeralds return for the holidays
(December 1, 2024) During the 1960’s and 1970’s, Motor City legends The Detroit Emeralds proved time and time again that the great soul/R&B that emanated from that landmark city didn’t begin and end with that record label over on West Grand Boulevard. One of many leading acts on Westbound Records, DE’s hits such as “You Want It […]
First Listen: Vaulted Luther Vandross cover of Beatles classic released
(November 27, 2024) Luther Vandross, from the very start of his career as a solo artist, had this rare ability to possess every song he touched with his rangy voice. It didn’t matter whether the tune was a Luther original like “Never Too Much,” or a remake from the same album, such as “A House Is Not a Home.” The […]
Jennifer Hudson helps us “Find the Love” at Christmas
(November 18, 2024) The Gift Of Love, the new Christmas album by “American Idol,” Academy Award and Grammy winning artist Jennifer Hudson, features many of the classic Holiday tunes that we all know and love. It’s a treat to hear Hudson’s classically soul voice backed lush orchestration taking on tunes like “My Favorite Things,” “Winter […]
Choice Cut: Will Preston gives us a ride on “Merry Go Round”
Atlanta-based singer and songwriter Will Preston has taken the slow and steady path to success. But it seems that that he’s upshifted over the past few years, with a series of singles that not only show his growth as a vocalist, but also as a perceptive lyricist who uses his unique perspective to describe complicated personal relationships. That […]
