Timeline (Advance Review) (2011)
Call them the Toto of the jazz world. Since their inception in 1981, the Yellowjackets have recorded an impressive 20 albums and, in their own down time, buzzed around music royalty including: Kiss, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Gregg Allman, Jonathan Butler and dozens more. Timeline, their first for Mack Avenue Records, plants the […]
The Great American Songbook (2011)
It’s ironic that Aretha Franklin’s first big hit, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” is a cover version of a song first done by soul man Otis Redding. Franklin covered that song so completely that her version is considered the definitive version of the song – a fact that even the great Redding acknowledged. The irony is that Franklin’s career […]
What’s Your Dream (2011)
Art, despite all of the varying forms with which it’s conveyed, boils down to one simple truth—-expression. It takes skill and synergy for a group to create music out of emotions and experiences, which is what abounds in the sprawling collective, What’s Your Dream. As the upbeat opener proclaims, “It came from the heart and […]
Côte D’azur (2011)
Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons have been making music for more than 25 years. That means that Freeman and his band mates spend a lot of time on the road touring and performing in live concerts. The Rippingtons’ fans know that Freeman draws inspiration for a lot of his music from many of their ports […]
Open Heart (2011)
Gina Breedlove is best known for playing the lioness Sarabi in the stage musical version of Disney’s “The Lion King.” That theatrical background serves her well on Open Heart, an acoustic album that is essentially soul, but also has heavy blues, folk and gospel leanings. Each genre rewards vocalists who sing with expressiveness, clarity, passion […]
The Armchair Generals EP (2011)
Brisk, bold and chock full of multiple emotions and influences—-the trio united during a firestorm of global and political unrest in 2004 and have been creating together ever since. As eclectic as their names (Osoosi 7, Bebo 6 and Oyani 9), the Armchair Generals are all over the musical landscape with their style: there’s the […]
Jump n’ Jivin’ Live at The Swing House (2011)
The power of pairs can accomplish wonderful things when it comes to musical collaborations. When singer/songwriter Dessy DiLauro first met keyboardist/producer Ric’key Pageot, she was coming off a performance of Cirque de Soleil’s La Nouba. They immediately clicked and became working together on numerous occasions. Both grew up with strong jazz and Cuban music backgrounds, […]
21 (2011)
As much as Adele wants to be a rootsy country singer, the soul still shines through. Besides, new hill folk adventures like “Hide My Heart” sound like the score for Reagan’s “Morning in America” or worse, a Maxwell House commercial. Luckily, the milquetoast fillers don’t dominate Adele’s sophomore project, 21. Instead, the project finds itself […]
A Thousand Shades Of Blue (2011)
Candace Bellamy’s A Thousand Shades of Blue is a record that moves in the opposite direction of much of mainstream gospel music. Whereas many artists have embraced the R&B/hip hop fusion sound of modern music with its auto tuned vocals and pop culture references, Bellamy’s EP A Thousand Shades of Blue gets its voice and […]
I Know That Name (Ultimate Version) (2011)
Over the past decade it’s been a real shame that US soul music fans have generally been oblivious to the uniformly enjoyable output of British pop/soul man, Paul Carrack. Known principally for his hits as lead singer for Ace (“How Long”), Squeeze (“Tempted”) and Mike + the Mechanics (“The Living Years”), Carrack had occasional solo […]
