In the last year, the world of music has rediscovered 70s soul in a big way, with classic soul cover albums of varying quality by Freddie Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Patti LaBelle and Jeffrey Osborne, among others. So, I was a little leery of hearing yet another one – Maysa's new release, Sweet Classic Soul. However, happily, it is the best of the bunch, an album that avoids being overly nostalgic and instead moves classic material into Maysa's adult soul/smooth jazz world, taking a batch of 10 great songs in a fresh, different direction. Nowhere is this more obvious than on "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," which is removed from its ordinarily hushed, reverential tone and is given a smoky, jazzy arrangement that works beautifully.
A couple dance tunes come off as filler here, but otherwise there's a whole lot to like, especially covers of "Wishing On A Star," "Come Go With Me," "Love Won't Let Me Wait," and especially the Isleys' "Don't Say Goodnight," a gorgeous version that may actually surpass the original. Sweet Classic Soul demonstrates that Maysa is a notable musical interpreter and again reminds us of her status as one of the great soul singers of our time. Recommended.
By Chris Rizik
