When Words Are Just Words
INCOGNITO: Tales from the Beach
This is not your typical "tropical paradise" beach type of music, as the album title might suggest. Here's how Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick explains his inspiration for the group's most recent release: '""When I was a kid, my first taste of music came from the beaches of Mauritius," he says. "I spent a lot of time listening to the hotel bands, or the bands playing around the bonfires and cookouts. It's a small island, so there were beaches everywhere. I was always watching live musicians play. So for inspiration for this album, I went back to various beaches around the world - in Italy, Indonesia and elsewhere - and just let the music flow." And it sure does here, in Incognito's groovy blend of retro soul, funk, jazz, and dance. As always, the vocal power here amazes. Not only does Maysa grace us with her presence on four tracks, but Joy Rose, Tony Momrelle, and Imaani remind us why Incognito continues to remain such a powerful, inspirational force after all these years.
- All Good Things
THE WEEPIES: Hideaway
The Weepies, comprised of husband-and-wife Deb Talan and Steve Tannen, have been quite busy since their debut album came out in 2006 -- creating, playing, working with other artists, touring and getting married. I'm a fan of this folk duo's honest, touching music and lyrics, which can talk about pain and longing without dragging you down. When I first heard the song "All Good Things" it sounded familiar and I quickly realized I'd heard the Mandy Moore version first; I then discovered they had worked on her album. No diss to Mandy, but I like this version much, much better. I have a feeling you would, too.
- Your Song
LOVE PSYCHEDELICO: This Is Love Psychedelico
This is Love Psychedelico's (or more affectionately known to fans as Delico) first release outside of Asia -- and it's about time. The duo -- singer Kumi and guitarist Naoki -- formed the band about a decade ago and have been singing about love and peace ever since. Their music, a blend of '60s British Invasion and classic '70s rock, combined with mad Japanese-English lyrics, is cool, catchy, and highly infectious. I can't seem to get enough of them. To listen, click here.
- Breathe
LALAH HATHAWAY: Self Portrait
This is Lalah Hath- away's fifth album, but only the third that I've heard. From what I can hear for myself, this is her best yet. So many of the tracks here are strong and can stand alone -- in fact, rather than download each and every one, I went ahead and bought the entire CD. Nowadays, I do that only when I believe in the entire package, not just some of its parts. Donny's little girl must be making her dad proud: she may have inherited his velvet voice, but she has a style all her own -- and she only gets better, trust me on this. The first track "Let Go" has been attracting lots of positive buzz, but I can't stop listening to the next song, "Breathe." It makes me do just that.
- Pump
The B-52s: Funplex
Has it really been 16 years since their last studio album (and almost 30 years since I was both stunned and seduced by "Rock Lobster")? I love the B-52s so much that I was almost equally thrilled and scared to hear they were coming out with a new album this Spring. Thrilled for obvious reasons; scared because I didn't know if they could still be relevant (they are in their '50s, after all). But as soon "Pump" burst out blazing, I knew they were back. As Strickland says: "It's loud, sexy rock and roll for your pleasure zones, with the beat pumped up to hot pink." Just the way I like it.
Speak Your Heart
LIZZ WRIGHT: The Orchard
Finally, finally it's here. Late last year I heard a full-length version of this single on -- of all places -- Facebook, and was dismayed to discover I had to wait for several months until the album was released. I've been a fan of Wright from the moment I first heard her voice; she has a way of tugging your heart that both lifts it and breaks it at the same time.
- La La Means I Love You
PHIL PERRY: The Classic Love Songs
This is such a great tune that it's been covered and sampled time and time again -- unfortunately, not always well. I love this cover by Phil Perry; it keeps the essence of what I love most about this song but adds enough of a spin to keep it fresh. To listen, scroll down to the orange BOX.
Just A Little Lovin'
SHELBY LYNNE: Just A Little Lovin'
This album isn't being released until early February next 2008 but I can't wait. Anyone who has spent enough time with me at a karaoke joint knows how much I love Dusty Springfield...and especially this song (as a kid I belted it out along to Streisand's version). For now you can hear snippets here. Included in the 10-track cd are my all-time favorites: Just a Little Lovin', Anyone Who Had a Heart, I Only Want To Be With You, and The Look of Love.
- Gone Girl
TONY RICH: The Tony Rich Project: Pictures
I remember about 10 years ago I just couldn't get away from "Nobody Knows," an R&B ballad that was receiving phenomenal airplay. I simply assumed it was yet another Babyface hit and didn't think twice about it. Then last year this cd, Tony Rich's 4th album, came out and I was wondering why hadn't heard of this artist before? Maybe it's because I got him confused with Babyface (who was Rich's mentor at LaFace), that's why! So I'm wondering now if this might explain why this multi-talented artist (he writes, sings, plays the instruments!) has flown under the radar for so long. The next time, I'll be paying closer attention.
Take Everything In
ANGIE STONE: The Art of Love & War
This is on the list of my personal top Soul/R&B releases of 2007 -- mostly old-school and laid back but always underlined with a smooth groove to keep things interesting. I've been a fan of Angie Stone's from the beginning, but I'm pretty sure this is my favorite of her albums so far. Scroll down to the orange BOX to listen.
Angel
CHAKA KHAN: Funk This
C'mon now, it's Chaka Khan. What else do I have to say?
- All I
JILL SCOTT: The Real Thing: Words And Sounds Vol. 3
Can there ever be a bad Jill Scott album? We've yet to find out. For sure, this isn't everyone's cup of tea -- but for those who like her type of brew, sit beside me, kick back, and listen. She was going through a divorce when she was recording this and it shows: even the sensual "All I" is about trying to add fire to a relationship whose embers seem to be dying out.
I Remember
KEYSHIA COLE: Just Like You
I haven't felt the searing pang of heartbreak in so long that it's easy to think I never did. Until I hear this song -- and then I remember just what it was like to still love someone but have to let go. Sucks. This album doesn't however; I'm no music expert but I predict by next year we'll be hearing about Keyshia Cole more than we ever have.
Fire and Rain
Babyface: Playlist
(Wrong album cover) Who knew Babyface loved the music of James Taylor and Bread? I never would have guessed, for sure, even if I'm a fan of the music of all three. Babyface's upcoming album mostly covers various well-loved hits of classic singer/songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Jim Croce, and Dan Fogelberg but includes original material. After listening to his version of Taylor's "Fire and Rain" (one of my all-time favorite songs, by the way), I can't wait for its September 18th release. Scroll down to the orange BOX to listen.
So Amazing
VARIOUS ARTISTS: Forever, for Always, for Luther II (Dig)
My husband and I were listening to this song on the radio, same way we had many times before. All of a sudden I say in my reverie: "This is such a good version." And he turns to me and asks, "What? This is the original!" And we go back and forth and argue over whether Luther Vandross or Patti Austin originally recorded this song. Of course, I insist it's Luther -- and I'm right. Still, I can't blame the guy for thinking he was right instead: when an artist covers a song and makes it truly his or her own, then it sounds just as good as if it were the original. No one can out-Luther Luther, but Patti sure can hold her own.
Best of Me
CHRISETTE MICHELE: I Am
I've been listening to this album for about a month now and I've got to say my appreciation for it only grows with every spin. Chrisette Michele's musical roots are apparent: jazz, soul, pop, and gospel. If she sounds like a seasoned pro at the age of 24, it's because she's already been performing for 20 years. Her huge talent is a knock-out: she was said to have given goosebumps to Antonio “LA” Reid, Chairman and CEO of Island Def Jam Music Group during her audition. I think she could do the same for you; she certainly did so for me. To listen, scroll down to the orange BOX and click.
Sophia
NERINA PALLOT: Fires
Singer-songwriter Nerina Pallot is well-known and popular in the UK (where she's from) although she's remained under the radar here in the US (at least from what I can tell, since I haven't been listening to the radio). I've only come across her music fairly recently, but what I've heard so far only makes me want to hear more. Tiny in stature but HUGE in talent (she writes her songs, plays the piano and guitar, and her voice can at times make me hold my breath), I predict she'll be a household name in this side of the world by the time I learn how to pronounce her last name correctly (it's pal-loh, supposedly). Scroll down to the box below to listen.
Younger Than Springtime
AMEL LARRIEUX: Lovely Standards
My father owned a copy of the South Pacific movie soundtrack and as a little girl I used to play it when he wasn't around, before I ever got to watch the film. This was my favorite song in the entire record, and so when I realized that Amel Larrieux (one of my favorite singers, ever) covered it in her latest album, I knew I had to listen to it right away. Her arrangement bears little resemblance to the original -- it's now jazzed up and low-key -- and it's testament to the sheer genius of Rogers & Hammerstein that in any form, this tune always manages to send chills up my spine. Though this is perhaps my least favorite Larrieux album, she still can do no wrong in my book. To listen, scroll down and click on the song inside the box.
Dreaming of One
TRINA BROUSSARD: The Same Girl
I first heard her name and voice on the terrific Love Jones soundtrack, which came out 10 years ago. It took many years before I encountered both again, this time when she released her solo album in 2004. Her milky-smooth voice easily transitions between jazz and R&B, and to me is like a cool sip of water on an oppressively dry, hot day. Check out her music here or click in SHARE box below to hear her sweet paean to finding that one true love. If I hadn't done so, she'd make me feel it was just a matter of time.
Greatest Love
MUSIQ SOULCHILD: Luvanmusiq
Multi-awarded Philly-bred musician Musiq Soulchild (who used to be known as Talib Johnson then Musiq Soulchild then just Musiq and then back again) has been hot in the R&B/Neo soul scene since 2000 but considers his latest album his way of reintroducing himself. "I've been away for a little while," he says. "The industry's changed and so have I - personally, mentally, psychologically. I look at my previous three albums as grade school, middle school, and high school. Now with this new album, "LUVANMUSIQ," its like I'm going off to college."All I can say is that if college now sounds like this, then it's never sounded so good. Check out his music here.
On & On
ANTHONY DAVID: The Red Clay Chronicles
Here's a guy who says he can mess around with the piano and guitar but can't play either one too well, who didn't realize he could sing until later on (it's often said he sounds like Bill Withers), but who could write music (which he often did for others). Anthony David's first album was released in 2004 but somehow he didn't cross my radar until earlier this year -- and I consider myself fortunate that he did at all. Another product of the Atlanta music scene, he hung around with India.Arie when even she didn't even know she could sing. And just like the whole world now knows she can, one listen to this man's voice lets you know he sure can, too.
A Girl Called Eddy
A GIRL CALLED EDDY: The Long Goodbye
How can I not love an album whose singer, Erin Moran, has the voice of a falling angel and whose music references Burt Bacharach and the Carpenters, as well as other great singer/songwriters? This came out in 2004 but lately I've been listening to it over and over again. Every word is genuine, every note true -- you know that when you listen to her sing, she's telling you about her life. (PS: And as far as this song goes, you -- yes you -- you know who you are. This is for you.)
I Still Run To You
AMY HOLLAND: On Your Every Word
I listened to this album again and started typing in a frenzy for about half an hour until I was done with my post about B ("Just Friends, Still Friends"). See, back then we listened to this cassette over and over until it was worn thin, and he kept it when I left (though I asked for it back when he found someone new). I finally got the cd when it was finally released -- and I just discovered it now goes for $144 on Amazon.com! I'd never sell it, though; you can't put a price on happy memories, can you now? Well, I certainly can't.
My One Temptation
MICA PARIS: The Best of Mica Paris
Some songs come out of nowhere at the most inappropriate moments. Well..inappropriate only because they trigger in my head a memory of an exact moment in an exact space in time that has absolutely NOTHING to do with where I'm currently at and what I'm doing. And the thought causes this kind of goofy, somewhat embarrassed yet naughty smile to flash all over my face and stop me dead in my tracks -- so that the person I'm talking to then looks at me quizzically and demands, "What??" and I can't possibly say what I'm now thinking of. Except that it's 1988 and boy-oh-boy-oh-boy...
Are We Lovers Anymore
Various Artists: Soul Lounge, Vol. 3
As always, this compilation of 40 soulful grooves (third in the series) is a must-have for any fan of smooth soul and R&B. The only question I have is why was Seek's Something Real included here when it already was in Vol. 1? Never too much of a good thing, perhaps?
Tin Man
INCOGNITO: bees + things + flowers
When I read that Incognito did a remake of this America hit, I was skeptical -- I just couldn't imagine how this could be reimagined in the group's jazzy soulful style. But I'm not a musical genius like Bluey, who describes this laid-back album as being “almost an unplugged affair, recorded the old-fashioned way with everyone playing live in the studio at the same time, and just a few overdubs afterwards. I’m really pleased with it, and to have so much vocal talent on one album is tremendous”. If you're an Incognito fan like I am, then this is a must-have.
Overcome by Happiness
PERNICE BROTHERS: Overcome by Happiness
Yes, I do listen to much more than R&B and Neo-Soul. But if one were to ask me what kind of music I love, I'd have to answer "I know it when I hear it." And I heard this and knew. (I mean, have you heard Joe Pernice's beautiful, comforting voice? REALLY listened to his lyrics?) This was the album that first made me sit up and pay attention -- and it still makes me listen up.
Never Knew Love Like This
CHERRELLE: Cherrelle Greatest Hits
There are songs that can transport me to an exact moment in time, and this is certainly one of them. It's funny how hearing something can make one feel younger instantly: it's akin to botox for the mind. I remember thinking Cherrelle was just another of those "here-now-hear-no-more" '80s artists even then. I might have been right -- but I can't think of that decade without her singing on the soundtrack of my life during that time. I suppose in a way she's here to stay.
Lessons Learned
LATRICE: Illuminate
I first heard her voice when she used to head up neo-soul band Five Point Plan (which I mentioned here a while back) and it stirred me from the get-go. You know those "whoah!" moments when you're listening to something new and you find yourself all distracted, just wondering who the heck is singing? Well, it turns out Latrice was singing. So right now, I'm dancing like a fool to different versions of her hit single "Illuminate" and I can't seem to stop. To listen click here.
Terra de Ninguem
SABRINA MALHEIROS: Equilibria
I may dread the heat, but Sabrina Malheiros' voice makes me miss Summer, especially now that we're starting to fill the slight chill of Fall. An upbeat yet silky-smooth blend of bossa, electronica, R&B and even hip-hop, her debut album is completely fresh and infectious (hard to believe when there seems to be a bossa album born every minute). Only 26 years old, Malheiros already has a lifetime of musical experience. Her father is Alex Malheiros (Azymuth's bassist) and her grandfather played with Sergio Mendez, but the family connection runs only second to her own accomplishments. Oh, and did I mention that voice? -- THAT stunning, pure voice immediately lets you know she'll be around for a long, long time. To listen to album tracks, click here or here.
The Day Ahead
SIJI: God-given
English-born and of Nigerian descent, Siji is a singer/songwriter/producer whose music is a sophisticated blend of soul and traditional African music. I listened to track after track of this album and was amazed I'd never heard of his music -- or anything about him, for that matter -- before. But am I glad I did. If you'd like to hear snippets of his music click here or here. I guarantee his smooth-as-silk voice will draw you in as it did me.
That's When You Fall In Love
Gordon Chambers: INTRODUCING...GORDON CHAMBERS
Gigi: Hey Ted, I don't know if you've heard this singer before but I'm really liking him right now.
Ted: What's his name?
Gigi: Gordon Chambers.
Ted: Who???
So I've been getting this reaction from all my musically-inclined friends, even those who, like me, are R&B fans. All I have to say is if you seem to like the same kind of music I do, give this guy a listen. He'll be worth your time.
this man actually made us stop right in our tracks. He was the usual tall, blonde, tanned, ruggedly handsome sort of fellow you might see ringing up your jeans at A&F -- but he was completely shirtless. He wore a fur-lined hoodie jacket and possibly jeans (both our eyes stopped at his impossibly defined six-pack so we really can't say what he looked like from waist down), and he stood pretty much immobile like he was a mannequin. Which, I suppose, was his raison d’être that day.
Awwwww....how sweet!
Posted by:Cathy | October 31, 2006 at 01:29 AM
Very nice !! so sweet:) a virtual hug from me to you,too!
Posted by:cheH | October 31, 2006 at 02:09 AM
this is awesome!!! people in the first world countries have lost touched with being warmly human - that they need to hug each other! I could see these in the lonely faces and depressed eyes of people here. So much to learn from poverty stricken countries like the Philippines!
Posted by:jase | November 01, 2006 at 01:51 PM
That WAS a really heartwarming video. Thanks for posting it.
Posted by:chiqui | November 01, 2006 at 03:02 PM
Hi Cathy, cheH, Jase, and Chiqs - Hugs all around!
Posted by:Gigi | November 01, 2006 at 07:02 PM
That was grrreeeaat, Gigi! Thank you very much (to your friend, Stacy, too) for sharing this with us - I actually felt good after watching it, like I was hugged! :)
Posted by:bugsybee | November 07, 2006 at 05:06 AM
Hi Bugsy - It just reminded me how often the little things are the ones that mean a lot. Hugs from me, too!
Posted by:Gigi | November 08, 2006 at 07:19 AM
such an amazing guy to come up with the idea. he definitely put everyone in loving and caring mood!
Posted by:evi | November 08, 2006 at 10:14 PM