Listen (2010)
An artist who has an expansive definition of spirituality often has some explaining to do. Rhonda Thomas appears to realize this, and the song "Unmerited Favor" can be seen as her response to those traditionalists who seek to censure any artists standing on both sides of the sacred secular divide. "Unmerited Favor," which can be […]
Are You Ready? (2010)
Although Detroit, MI. native Roxanne Dawson spent a majority of her early years performing with others (her first venue was the family backyard with her brother in tow, and as an adult she lent her talents to groups like Annointed and Intrigue), it was inevitable that the rich, throaty range she possessed would put her in […]
Exit E (2010)
Esnavi is one of those underground gems who truly defines what it means to be a "sleeper" hit artist. With Exit E acting as a pseudo debut release (she actually completed an album in 2005 that didn’t see a label release), Esnavi is on the brink of establishing herself as an indie powerhouse. Her voice […]
Floetic Soul (2010)
For many musical partnerships, change is par for the course. Sometimes a duo or band exhausts its creative course or internal strife impedes the musical relationship, with new members replacing the old. And sometimes groups even disband despite the a successful track record. Between 2002 and 2007, two close childhood friends, Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie […]
Sleeping Beauty: You Are the One You Have Been Waiting On
I first met Abby Dobson at the 2007 Soultracks Readers’ Choice Awards ceremony. I had come to Detroit to cover the event for my newspaper, The South Bend Tribune. Dobson wasn’t up for an award that year. Instead, she was one of many aspiring artists working the room, handing out press materials and/or music samples. […]
The Sun Shines Again (2010)
In spite of her optimistic moniker, it’s been anything but a bright and happy time these last few years for Sunshine Anderson. Poised for stardom thanks to her 2001 smash, the inescapable "Heard It All Before," Ms. Anderson’s soaring career momentum crashed and burned when her first label, Soullife, unexpectedly folded. Left to the mercy […]
Inspire (2010)
A major event can prompt the kind of self-examination that leads a person to change his or her life. This can be the case even if the person wasn’t directly involved in the event. The band Soundoctrine got its start in the aftermath of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The enormity of that event […]
…Featuring (Advance Review) (2010)
Norah Jones came out of nowhere in 2002 as the savior of adult music, immediately pigeonholed by critics as a soft-jazz chanteuse and nearly as quickly cloned by record companies trying to recreate her incredible success with smooth sound-alikes. Jones has spent the years since then trying hard to explain to the world through her […]
Love Is Real (EP) (2010)
Philip Bailey’s voice has been a part of the soundtrack of many people’s lives for more than four decades. Bailey’s falsetto along with the Phoenix Horns and Maurice White’s vocals were major parts of Earth, Wind & Fire’s signature sound during the group’s salad days in the 1970s and early 80s. Bailey has expanded his […]
Back for the Very First Time (2010)
Imagine the courage it takes to walk away from an established career path to pursue a passion that many around you didn’t know existed. It’s not the most conventional way to become a star, but it’s the one that Gwen Maul chose when she decided to leave her comfortable perch as a hairstylist in her native […]
