World Soul Collective Vol. I
I could imagine sitting in a record company office with the thankful assignment of seeking songs for compilations performed by the future of independent soul music. My favorite part about this seemingly glorious task would be furthering the marketing of undiscovered or unknown talent – for the benefit of an international audience at that. Now […]
Greater than One
The urge to merge: instinctual as breathing and inevitable as growing up, there comes a time when “Be Without You” sounds better than “Single Life” and many start looking outward for legacy-building, contentment and companionship (spiritually and otherwise). Dwele’s song catalog has always showcased the stages of love, but his sixth release, Greater Than One, […]
Weekend in L.A.: A Tribute to George Benson
U-Nam makes one goal of Weekend in L.A.: A Tribute to George Benson clear: He wants to pay honor to the guitarist who served as a major musical influence. However, because U-Nam himself is an innovator steeped in R&B and hip-hop along with jazz, he is not content to make the kind of record that […]
V4…The Other Side (2012)
I have always found J Moss to be one of the most compelling and interesting artists working today. Moss hails from a legendary gospel music family and resides in one of America’s great musical cities. That background partially explains why he has been able to craft a well-deserved reputation as an artist and producer who […]
Love is the Hero (2012)
The way Martin Luther so quietly rolls out some of his best material is just so frustrating. For a project this good, there should be fanfare, billboards, ticker tape parades, or at least a proper set-up for a successful run (see my essay Being A Star Before You’re A Star Part II: The Rollout for […]
Roots of Soul
For multi- instrumentalist Gabriele Poso, the roots of soul are clearly the sound of the drum, if the cover of this album is anything to go by. Holding the root of soul in his hand as he moves against a rich coral blue background, Poso keeps his face off the front cover, opting instead to […]
So Good to Me (2012)
For some music lovers, neo-soul is the staple of soul music today. When they think of soul music, these fans think Tony! Toni! Tone’!, Badu, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Musiq, India.Arie, the Roots and Maxwell, among others (although it can be argued that Maxwell was never really a neo-soul artist, musically speaking; he just happened to […]
A Conscious Mind: Live Sessions
Ahhhh, yes, to be young and talented. Better yet, to be young, talented and vulnerable. Not even personally knowing Sid Sriram, what is consistently striking about his approach to his material is that this is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, if only in his art. Open and emotive, this balladeer never […]
Indie Soul United: I Remember When
Listening to I Remember When, the latest Indie Soul United compilation CD put together by Craig A. Eleazer, reminds me of the opening scene from the movie Love Jones. That scene ends with Nia Long’s character, Nina, confronting Larenz Tate’s character, Darius outside of a poetry club and writing the word “love” in the palm […]
Renaissance (2012)
Let us now consider the lowly bass player. For most of the rock era, bassists found themselves relegated to a support role for their more acclaimed band mates – that rock deity known as the guitarist. Guitar players often stand as rock music royalty. Their names roll off the lips of blues and rock music […]
