The Real Thing (2007)
When Jill Scott first stepped onto the scene with her debut CD, Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1, she was a breath of fresh air in an industry overrun with cookie-cutter female emcees and so-called songstresses who weaved together sappy ballads of heartbreak. Jill’s mixture of spoken-word poetry, a smooth singing voice, and […]
The Strength of a Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story (Book Review)
Finally. That’s the one word that can best describe the feeling after reading Jason A. Michael’s superb biography, Strength of a Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story . Not much has been said or written about this legendary “Goddess of Love” since her transition in 1995. Standing at six feet, Phyllis Linda Hyman could dazzle with […]
100 Days, 100 Nights (2007)
For better or worse, "retro-soul" is now part of the vernacular. Having reached a feverish apex in the mainstream with Back to Black by Amy Winehouse in 2007, the popularization of ‘60s R&B sensibilities by contemporary acts is, at best, a winning appropriation of the era when Stax and Motown reigned supreme. At worse, it’s […]
Don’t Mess With Mr. T (2007)
Don’t Mess With Mr. T has little to do with the "Rocky" antagonist, except that it packs on hit after hit from the beginning to the end. James Taylor’s indomitable quartet plays Motown with all the surety of its singular innovators. The heart of the matter is simple: James Taylor works the Hammond organ as if he […]
Vashawn Mitchell (2007)
These days, more churches are forming "praise teams." The praise team consists of two or more people who lead the congregation in singing what would have been called "congregational songs" back in the day. The praise team’s purpose is to lead the congregation in singing two or three songs that essentially set the tone for […]
All The Way From Philadelphia (2007)
There can be no argument that in the early 70s the center of the soul music universe was Philadelphia. Combining progressive arrangements with stellar songwriting and a seemingly endless supply of quality vocal groups, the City of Brotherly Love captured what Motown accomplished in Detroit in the 60s and took it to the next level. […]
Wines and Spirits (2007)
From the University of Neo-Soul (which has given us talented alumni such as D’Angelo, Eric Benet, and Maxwell) comes Rahsaan Patterson with perhaps his most eclectic project to date, Wines and Spirits. After releasing two critically acclaimed projects for MCA (Rahsaan Patterson and Love In Stereo) in the mid 1990s, this free spirited soul sophisticate started […]
Love 360 (2007)
Wall Street’s loss was soul street’s gain. When April Hill quit the prestigious Goldman Sachs investment banking firm to pursue her dream of making music, some of her peers may have thought her crazy. But from the first note of "The Search," the opening cut on her debut album Love 360, she proves herself an artist whose […]
Alone But Not Alone (2007)
Upon hearing the phrase, "Alone But Not Alone," which is also the title of Marvin Winans’ highly anticipated solo album release, one might wonder about the intended message. Everyone has some sense of familiarity with Marvin as part of the infamous Winans singing group that included Marvin and his three brothers, Ronald, Michael and twin, […]
Funk This (2007)
Chaka Khan hasn’t released a new album of original material since 1998’s Come 2 My House, but has now ended her near-decade away with Funk This. Funk This is exactly what one should expect from its title: It’s Chaka Khan’s moment to shine. She pays homage to her days with 70’s funk/soul collective Rufus, so […]
