Perfect Ain’t Perfect (2013)
Gedeon Luke McKinney participated in the fifth season of American Idol. He ended up being eliminated in the round of 16. However as is often the case for the Idol franchise, McKinney, who performs as Gedeon Luke, has as much upside – if not more- than any of the semi-finalists. Soul, gospel and funk fans […]
Live From London (2013)
An authentic, ever-evolving love story that took root in the streets of Philly, blossomed into a marriage, children and four studio albums that chronicled every step of the way: that’s what Kindred The Family Soul is. Together, as part of the 2000s neo-soul emergence, Aja Graydon and Fatin Dantzler spun the grit and the glory […]
Seven (2013)
It’s unfortunate – even tragic – that Vesta Williams died before the release of Seven, her final album. Would this album be the one that earned Vesta the mainstream acceptance that eluded her later in her career? Probably not. Vesta faced the same challenges that confront veteran R&B singers making music in an industry that […]
Is Your Love Big Enough? (2013)
Considering the sheer volume of music that SoulTracks receives throughout the course of a year, it should not be surprising that a few worthy projects escape unexamined. Lianne La Havas’ Is Your Love Big Enough is the one that got away in 2012. La Havas didn’t glide totally under the American radar. The Brit appeared […]
Back 2 Smooth (2013)
Patience is a virtue. It can pay off in the most fruitful of creative results, as evidenced by Back 2 Smooth, the secular debut album of New Jersey native Les Dion. After several decades of close calls and deals gone bad, the singer-songwriter delivers a cohesive set of relaxed, yet upbeat, R&B gems tailored for […]
Get Up! (2013)
“Of course it’s different now, the blues is no longer blues, it’s green now,” the late Ruth Brown said. Those words so befit the blues renaissance now reverberating around us. The rock world is now swamped with new-age tributaries to the blues, from 2013’s breakout band Alabama Shakes to the Ohio duo the Black Keys, […]
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of My Life (2013)
After much anticipation, I couldn’t wait to dig into the journey of Clive Davis, a music industry legend. Any industry follower, musician or music lover/collector has some degree of awareness of Mr. Davis. For me, it was as a teenager, discovering the music of Patti Smith and reading Rolling Stone. Looking back, it was odd […]
Jamie Lidell (2013)
Still hiding between the shadows of obscurity and indie sensationalism, blue-eyed soul wonder Jamie Lidell seems to be one enigmatic creature. After drifting away from being a behind-the-scenes techno producer, he used neo-soul moxie and ballsy imagination to highlight his first two solo records. His third album, Jim, may have gotten him the most attention […]
More than Words (2013)
After putting in almost a quarter century into songwriting, producing, playing instruments and cultivating one of the most skillful voices in contemporary music, there’s not much else that can be said about Brian McKnight. With just a few trills of that tenor or a kiss of that falsetto glide, the 43-year-old can turn otherwise rational […]
Sing To The Moon (2013)
If the last two years in contemporary British soul pop were defined by Adele, and the years before, Amy Winehouse, then 2013 may be defined by the unique originality of UK songbird, Laura Mvula. Unlike the previously mentioned divettes, there has never been anything in pop music like Laura Mvula. No soul references to icons […]
