Sketches of a Neighborhood (2007)
When I heard those first notes of the electric organ on "Awakened by a Noon Day Sun" – the opening track of the Bass Mint Bros record Sketches of a Neighborhood – the first name that came to mind was Jack McDuff. Then I heard the fusion of 70s era funk and the jazz improv […]
Thy Kingdom Come (2008)
The Winans family has always been about giving their brand of gospel music strong lyrics. That was true when I was first introduced to the Winans brothers in the early and mid 1980s. That group combined soaring harmonies with some of the most achingly personal and topically relevant lyrics in contemporary gospel. The Winans were talking […]
Seven Ways to Wonder (2008)
When club music was the rage, starting with the disco era in the seventies, old-school soul was the pulse on several hits, such as Donna Summer’s lengthy, ecstasy-filled journey "I Love To Love You Baby" and Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King’s feisty vocal performance on the funk-filled "Shame." Similarly, the eighties were on fire with soulful dance songs […]
Sings Sam Cooke (2008)
As one of the premiere singers of the 70s and 80s, Gerald Alston was comfortable enough in his skin that he never took offense when listeners compared his melifluous voice to that of perhaps the greatest soul singer of a previous generation, Sam Cooke. Said Alston, "Ever since I can remember, the warm and beautiful voice of Sam […]
Raw (Live) (2008)
For those who have viewed Rahbi onstage, he appears to be filled with blatant self-confidence and an abundance of energy. Raw, his anticipated full-length debut album, captures the very same essence; a culmination of dramatic sexual playfulness, romantic sensuality and utter shock over the audacity of his risqué vocals combined with moves that typically send […]
SWOP (2007)
I have long been championing the fact that parts of Europe and Scandinavia have been leading the way in the creative development of what I loosely term to be ‘groove oriented’ music. The fact that we all try to pigeon hole music into different genres leaves our mind closed to the possibilities of what could be […]
The Orchard (2008)
There are few greater pleasures in life than hearing an album for the first time and losing oneself, completely, in the listening experience. The music transports, inspires, invokes daydreams. There’s a hope that other listeners will follow along on the journey and glean even a glimpse of what makes the music special. Such is the […]
My Naked Soul (2006)
Chicago singer Terisa Griffin approached her sophomore album My Naked Soul like it was a major label recording, even though she’s actually independently released it on her on My Naked Soul Productions. It is a beautifully packaged product, and the outer shell is surpassed by Griffin’s exquisite production, which is lush and organic, hitting all […]
Still (2008)
Conya Doss has a good thing going. First of all, she has a day job that she loves. Doss, as her fans know, is a teacher in the Cleveland public schools. Those fans, however, know Miss Doss best through the quality work she does on her "other" job as a soul singer. That job has […]
Chosen (2007)
One might wonder how it came to be that the first sofng selected when initially listening to Mike Turner’s recent release, Chosen, was the breathtaking “By the Word of God,†particularly because the song in question is track number ten on the album. However, it became apparent to me without a doubt that there were […]
