Now (2012)
“Concert master.” The mere sight of those words in the credits for Now induces a warm rush of delight. It means that Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s impeccable songwriting has been respected. It means that Dionne Warwick is surrounded by strings and brass, the kind of instrumentation that was so integral to her run of […]
Blak and Blu
If your musical palette is varied and you enjoy a mix of blues, rock, alt-rock, metal and soul, then Blak and Blu, Gary Clark, Jr’s first major label release from Capitol Records is a pure joy and a must add to your collection. Entering the Billboard charts at #6 after only two weeks of release, […]
Modern Heart / Woman In Flames (Reissue)
When Champaign burst onto the scene in 1981, it appeared to be a group that was going to be around for quite awhile. With memorable lead vocalists Pauli Carman and Rene Jones, great production by Leo Graham, and a crossover smash hit in “How ‘Bout Us,” Champaign’s debut album won critical acclaim and sold well. Unfortunately, […]
A Hill of Feathers
It’s becoming redundant to talk or write about singers and bands from the United Kingdom that specialize in making classic soul and R&B music. There may be theories that explain why so many artists from UK and Europe have come to embrace classic soul and excel in making quality music in that genre. I’m not […]
Timeless Grooves
Whoever coined the phrase ‘don’t quit your day job’ probably couldn’t have envisioned someone like Dennis Angel coming along. A native New Yorker and trumpet player who studied under the tutelage of the acclaimed William Vacchiano, music was an early love and easy passion for Mr. Angel, but he opted for law school (he presently […]
Inspirations (2012)
Anybody who heard The Collection and Inspired by a True Story, the two R&B albums by Florida based singer homemadesoul, would not be shocked to hear the quartet style gospel songs that can be heard on the artist’s new album of religious songs, Inspirations. “Why?” you might ask. What could be the connection between […]
Cee Lo’s Magical Moment
With all the hoopla regulated to Cee Lo Green’s buoyant retro-soul epiphanies and primetime expeditions on NBC’s The Voice, a family-friendly, all-star holiday extravaganza had to be somewhere in the works. At first glance, Cee Lo’s Magical Moment– his first full set after 2010’s The Lady Killer, appears out of thin air looking like another […]
American Soul
Spend an evening in the bars of Southern Florida in 2012, and you’ll see older men with deep leathered tans and dyed hair sporting open buttoned shirts, trying to hit on younger women. It’s what they do. In a similar way, in the musical world, what aging rock stars do, when their creative juices run […]
Pour une âme souveraine – A Dedication to Nina Simone
Words fail to describe how stunning an achievement Meshell Ndegeocello’s tribute album to Nina Simone really is, but I’ll give it my best shot. Easily the most accessible project of Ndegeocello’s since the days of Bitter and Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape, on Pour une âme souveraine – A Dedication to Nina Simone, Ndegeocello modernizes what […]
Believe in Love (2012)
Just like agape love is a way of expressing unconditional love to one another, agape soul is musician Darryl Anders’ way of extending his unconditional love of soul music with his fans. A veteran of the jazz soul world, including gigs with Tower of Power and Booker T., Anders has made an impressive transition […]
