Brown Baby Girl (2006)
Brown Baby Girl has been creating quite a buzz over the past few years, particularly in Europe and East Coast US. So there was a significant anticipation for their debut CD, 2006's Brown Baby Girl. And for the uninitiated, Brown Baby Girl shows on record what all the fuss is about. Combining authentic jazz vibes […]
Live One Last Time (2007)
Are these the same Clark Sisters from Detroit? Are these the same Clark Sisters that are cousins to PAJAM's J Moss? Are these the same Clark Sisters – Dorinda Clarke-Cole, Karen Clark- Sheard, Twinkie Clark and Jacky Clark Chisholm – that are legends in their own right? Are these the same Clark Sisters that had […]
Feel The Fire (2007)
Graceful best describes this new set of covers by the incomparable Maysa Leak on, Feel The Fire, her sixth solo project. The Maryland based songbird first burst on the scene over fifteen years ago with the soul/jazz band, Incognito, and has since become a venerable staple of adult contemporary radio. Not a day goes by […]
People Gonna Talk (2006)
In 2005, James Hunter signed with GO/Rounder Records and began working on his biggest international release, People Gonna Talk, with producer Liam Watson (the White Stripes). In order to capture Hunter’s authentic R&B sound, Watson painstakingly sought out old analog recording equipment and recorded the album "live." In fact, other than the lack of hiss […]
Deeper Still (2007)
It is still difficult to speak of Rick James with past tense references. Three years since his death have seemingly flown by. Fans of the late soul funkateer will revel in the fact that the Stone City Records has now released Deeper Still, his final studio album. The music of Rick James has always elicited […]
Sex, Love and Pain (2007)
With his hit single "Please Don't Go" already dominating the Urban Adult Contemporary airwaves and his new CD Sex, Love and Pain receiving ample industry buzz, Tank is slated to continue his dominance of the modern ghetto love genre he helped create. A contributing pioneer of today's slicker version of ghetto soul, Tank has been […]
Love Notes (2005)
Record company drama caused Ty Causey's debut album, N-Tysing, to die an unfortunately early demise. Fortunately, Causey didn't stay on the sidelines for long. In July of 2005 he released his sophomore disc, Love Notes, working with executive producer Bert Caldwell (of ispysoul.com). From the bluesy opening on the first song, "Life On Track," Causey […]
Mr. Insanity (2006)
His fans have been waiting nearly four decades for Bobby Franklin to tell his musical story, and Mr. Insanity is his vehicle for delivery. It summarizes compositions and recordings that span a variety of styles and years. With a Curtis Mayfield-influenced falsetto, he runs through a fine 70s ballad like "Sweeter Love" and then credibly […]
Just Don’t Want To Go Back (2005)
For me, 2005 has been a year of unexpected pleasures, and this is another one. I'd never heard of First Creation until I received this disc in the mail, and I have to confess that it has greatly surprised me in both the quality of the vocal performances and in the strong material throughout. Just […]
Thinking of You (2006)
Less than a year after the release of Victor, Victor Fields has teamed again with producer Chris Camozzi and an all-star band consisting of keyboardist Jeff Lorber, saxman Richard Elliot, flugelhornist Rick Braun and multi-instrumentalist Nelson Braxton for Thinking of You, a collection of remakes of soul songs from the 70s-00s. We're all pretty burned […]
