Gold (Deluxe Edition) (2014)
When he was Boris Titulaer aka Boris, the second winner of Dutch Idol, the nectar sweet tenor that nailed such Netherland hits as “Holy Pleasure” and “Within My Hands” eight years ago already showcased a man with the goods under the hood. However, the unreliable songwriting and lemon arrangements weren’t always up to the vroom […]
The Stories That Occurred (2014)
If you hadn’t noticed already, a repeat of the British Invasion is in full swing. Along with 2014’s golden child, Sam Smith, a list of trendsetters (Adele, Florence + the Machine, Emeli Sandé, Ellie Goulding, Jessie Ware, James Blake, etc.) and tributaries to the still-burgeoning EDM movement are evidence of this new, latest wave of […]
A Love Like Ours (2014)
It’s accurate to call vocalist Dominique Toney a Renaissance woman. Toney, a native of Los Angeles, is the daughter of highly accomplished pianist Kevin Toney, who played keyboards for The Blackbyrds, and Phyllis Toney, a costume designer who outfitted Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Sting, Areosmith, just to name a few. Dominique’s upbringing means that her […]
Promise to Love
Sensuality, spirituality and homespun wisdom about everything in-between, delivered atop elegant ballads and meticulous, mid-tempo grooves: Kem’s signature style has become, in just under a decade, a recognizable and rewarding one that’s endeared him to fans of ‘grown and sexy’ R&B. On stage and in the studio, the Detroit-based performer has proven himself to be […]
Islander (2014)
Everything Jarle Bernhoft has released in his relatively brief solo career has been worthy of discussion, and his fifth album is no exception to this rule. The Norwegian soul artist, who made a career as a one-man band using a loop band in his live concerts (and who got the full orchestra treatment on his […]
Mood Swing (2014)
Eric Nolan spent the better part of three decades working for some of the best vocal talent that the cities of Cleveland and Detroit had to offer. Nolan, himself a Clevelander, served as the third member of that city’s first group of Soul, The O’Jays. He joined the group in 1995, and even sang background […]
What’s On Your Mind? (2014)
When I first played “W(Rap) It Up,” the second song on pianist, vocalist and songwriter Aziza Miller’s project, What’s On Your Mind?, I thought of a sign I saw while watching the protests in Ferguson, Missouri. “I can’t believe we still have to sing about this (issue).” The (issue) – judging from the song’s title […]
Live From the Detroit Jazz Festival 2013 (2014)
It all started with a New Yorker article written by a guy who normally contributes humorous pieces to The Onion. The writer, Django Gold, wrote a satirical article titled “Sonny Rollins: In His Own Words.” Gold’s Rollins trashes the music that made the legendary tenor saxophonist famous and pretty much states that his Rollins believes […]
Against Concrete Walls (2014)
I almost succumbed to the temptation of beginning this review of Against Concrete Walls, the recently released EP by Canadian Candice Sand, with a dig at the twin terrors of the Great White North, Justin Bieber and Robin Thicke. However, that would reaching for the low hanging fruit. They’ve suffered enough and Sand definitely deserves […]
With Love From Our Friends (2014)
If you were a teenager or young adult in the 1980s and had an affinity for R&B, that’s probably when you first encountered the self-contained music-making collective known as Full Force. Comprised of three brothers (Paul Anthony, B-Fine and Bow-Legged Lou) and three cousins (Baby Gerry, Curt-T-T and Shy Shy) hailing out of Brooklyn NY, […]
