Fresh: The Definition (2011)
Noel Gourdin can sing. I mean really sing. Anyone who doubts it only need see him live, or better yet, listen to the spot of country genius that was his debut single, “The River.” With cinematic Southern visuals and a hook for the ages, Gourdin wrote and achingly sang that little gem all the way […]
Kisses Before the Sun (2011)
One of the underreported stories of the indie soul movement has been the number of artists making acoustic music. Pretty much under the radar, a crop of performers arose willing to accept certain non-response from the music industry for music with with mature lyrics that is anything but overproduced. This is not 1970s when radio […]
Jump Start 2 (2011)
Around this time last year I highly recommended a compilation album entitled Jump Start by Ginger Tony on the Soul Unsigned label, which jump started my weekend when I put it on the stereo. Hopefully you picked up that album, because I am pleased to say that Jump Start 2 picks up where the other […]
Motor City Hits (2011)
Detroit businessman/entrepreneur Herb Strather is a music lover, and he has spent the better part of a decade creating several businesses around Detroit’s great soul music heritage. He built neighborhoods with streets named after the likes Freda Payne and the Four Tops; he created Motown-based lotteries for various states; and, most importantly, he created a […]
While I’m Awake (2011)
Within the beauty and excitement of songwriting, there are no limits to what comes out of one’s deepest thoughts and observations. When the pen hits the paper and the spirit moves inside, inspirations can come at any time and any place. While riding the subways, Giovanca carried her notebook capturing all her experiences in creating […]
Old School Loyalty (2011)
Jae Sinnett has devoted most of his music career to jazz. The drummer cut nine records as a front man since 1986. However it’s not a surprise that he decided to make a funk record like Old School Loyalty. Lots of performers have made that transition. One such artist is fellow drummer Maurice White, who […]
NFlow (2011)
Gospel purists may give silky voiced crooner Earl Dwayne heat for straddling the fence. The criticism could come because Dwayne new CD, NFlow, includes songs like “Trouble Soul” and “So Shall It Be,” which are clearly spiritual in nature and songs like “Pointless” and “Push Pull,” which are about Eros rather than agapic love. But […]
(a.k.a. BSlade) Stereotype (Collector’s Edition) (2011)
He’s on his fourth name and eighth project release in just nine months, four full-length albums of which were released in just the last five months. Tonex a.k.a. Ton3x a.k.a. Brian Slade a.k.a. BSlade has been undergoing an astonishing transformation in the last couple of years, from a suited-up gospel singer to an outrageous glam […]
blackgypsy Vol. 1 (2011)
Some of the greatest loves are those where the lovers found each other at a young age and literally grew up together. And, there are others, just as strong, where the two people fell in love after they’d already grown separately. And it’s often the same way with musical acts. Many of the greatest groups, […]
Songs From My Heart (2011)
Tim Spady is the kind of artist often found in gospel and jazz music, but rarely seen in other genres these days. Spady recently celebrated his 23rd birthday, and he’s been developing his skills as a pianist, arranger, composer and music director since his childhood. Spady directs the gospel choir at Franklin & Marshall College, […]
