Looking Glass (2009)
Dwayne’s Looking Glass is a respect-your-elders type of album. Dwayne, a native New Yorker, is a young brother who likely grew up hearing funky bass playing, blaring horns, soulful Hammond B3 organ playing and some high-powered drumming around the house. He liked what he heard and decided that’s the kind of music he wanted to […]
Transitions (2009)
Warm, effervescent, full of color and verve—-for those who’ve experienced it before, nothing enraptures the senses like a summer fling. It may not always produce love, marriage or babies, but one obviously left a deep impression on musician and producer Ryan Leslie, whose sophomore CD, Transitions, is dedicated to a recent seasonal paramour (or so […]
Rated R (2009)
A great way to soothe the hurt away is to keep working. After a brief hiatus stemming from her high-profiled breakup with R&B prince Chris Brown and barely escaping the grips of becoming the next poster child of domestic abuse, Rihanna is back at work with her latest carnival of pop-frizzled R&B. On Rated R, […]
The Late Night Affair (2009)
The title of Salah Ananse’ latest project, Late Night Affair, is definitive of its overall sound – an ambiently laid back groove. There is no doubt that Ananse has something to show for his 16 plus years of experience as a DJ, having opened for a neo-soul lover’s fantasy team. A resume that includes opening […]
Stronger With Each Tear (2009)
Anger issues, a stolen childhood and unhealthy addictions to drugs, alcohol and the wrong men. It sounds like the makings of a reality show, but it’s actually chapters from the Book of Mary….Mary J. Blige that is. The poised and polished performer of today is a far cry from the cagey sister that burst on […]
Unfresh (2009)
Do not let the title Unfresh fool you: throughout her self-released debut, Andy Allo injects a distinctive breath of urban music fresh air. Her laid-back soulful style — free of instrumental clutter – is buoyed by a confident attitude that consistently works. The Cameroon born, San Francisco resident has been full of fresh ideas even […]
My Best (2009)
Glenn Jones. That was the first thought that crossed my mind when I heard Jeff Ramsey hit one of his soaring high notes on "Give It My Best," the inspirational first track on Ramsey’s My Best. Comparing artists is a mental reflex that performers like Ramsey probably wish that music fans could unlearn. Everybody wants […]
Nomadic (Reissue) (2009)
The neo-soul subgenre has been along long enough to have what some might consider "forgotten" artists. These are artists who were categorized as neo-soul back in the late 1990s, released critically acclaimed albums but then washed out when tastes changed or upheavals occurred at the labels during the early part of this decade. Then, someone […]
The Karyn Allen Experience (2009)
If Karyn Allen were an insurance agent, she could easily sell honesty as the company’s best policy. Fortunately for soul music fans, Allen as a singer/songwriter is all about honesty. The intro for her debut The Karyn Allen Experience says it all as she iterates: "The entire album seems like a story." Whether relaying her own story […]
Love (2009)
Can somebody make ‘em stop with the covers? Please? Pretty please? I celebrated Boyz II Men’s Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA project because the arrangements were inspired and the energy was electric from beginning to end. The guys selected songs that you hadn’t heard in a while or were arranged and performed in ways […]
