The Rise and Fall of Keite Young (2007)
Hidden Beach has never presented an artist lacking in talent or creativity. And they certainly did not stray from that formula with the much-anticipated release of Keite Young’s debut album, The RISE and FALL of KEITE YOUNG. His sampler, carefully sprinkled to various members of the media and music industry sometime in 2006, caused just […]
R n R (2007)
If "easy listening" weren’t already a catchphrase it would most certainly apply here. The Rick Braun, Richard Elliot collaboration, R n R is probably the most apropos coincidence in music title in years. This masterwork of comfortable grooves show conclusively why these are among the gurus of the smooth jazz genre. Collaborators behind the scenes […]
The Lost Album (2007)
Lewis Taylor is the kind of artist that reminds music critics why they love music and got involved in this under-compensated game to begin with. Critics and other music nerds love nothing better than to tell a limited number of uninitiated about an artist or project only they and their nomadic ilk are intimately familiar […]
Planet Earth (2007)
In many parts of the world, he’s the reigning king of popular music — with only one contending icon now more well-known for his legal woes than his thriller-like serenades. He was once referred to as simply The Artist, but his name is Prince. This legend has released what is (arguably) the 26th studio album […]
Just Michaux (2004)
Austin, Texas based singer/songwriter/musician Michaux is a pretty ambitious guy. Mixing a love for music with a passion for at-risk children, he splits his time between his chaplain work at Texas Youth Commission (Juvenile Corrections Agency), his halfway house ministry for teenage men in Texas, and his message-filled, uniquely styled music. The latter part of […]
Stronger (2007)
Throughout the last half century of popular music there have been true pioneers like James Brown and Berry Gordy who had a vision of R&B that opened new doors for the genre. And then there have been talented others, ranging from Gamble & Huff to Prince who have helped the genre progress through evolution rather […]
Yearning 2 Love (2007)
Typically my reviews are written in third-person style leaving little room for real personalization. However, after listening to Yearning 2 Love, the latest offering from the Kloud 9 twins, Kendall and Kelvis Duffie, I have decided to stray from the norm and speak strictly from the perspective of how their music moved me. Hearing influences […]
A Woman’s Touch (2007)
More than a decade and a half after her last chart hit, it is indeed a surprise to witness the return of Thelma Houston on her Shout Factory debut, A Woman’s Touch. Following the trend that has been established by dozens of senior soul and pop artists over the past few years, the disc is […]
Kaboom! (2007)
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker is the personification of true funkiness. This nine-piece ensemble brings a mixture of Down South rhythms with a side order of chitlin’ circuit grooves that’s so nasty you get the Funk Face: that’s where your mug contorts like you just smelled something nasty! Coming out to bat with their new […]
No Place Like Soul (2007)
If 2005’s Breakout was the watershed album for Soulive, transitioning the group from a Booker T & the MGs-type jazz/funk/soul outfit to a more more muscular rock/funk sound, then No Place Like Soul completes the transformation. Shedding all remnants of its jazzy past, Soulive has added gritty lead singer Toussaint and an even greater reliance […]
