Albums of the Year
Our contributors' choices for the best
soul albums in 2002.
FOLSOM PRISON COULD NOT STOP A
BORN MUSICIAN:
AN INTERVIEW WITH TIM KEPLER Tim Kepler's debut set
From Folsom to Forgiven gained two
nominations in the top albums of the year
listings of Soul Express contributors in
2000. Also, Tim's spirited, sax-drenched
soul swayer Love, Trust & Obey was
the number 5 pick of our Quality Time
countdown of the best tracks in 2000. Now
it's time to introduce Tim to our readers
with an exclusive interview.
Also visit the excellent Tim Kepler
website at http://www.timkepler.com
The Soul Scale
The soul year 2002 started with some
excellent new releases by The
Dramatics, Kathleen Bertrand
(her second set No Regrets is
our Album of the Issue) Jaguar
Wright, Nichelle and Denise
Stewart. Instead, our critics
found the latest efforts by Joe,
Beverley Knight and Alexander
O'Neal rather disappointing.
Jazz-Funk
Swedish group Koop
surprises our jazz-funk columnist with
their innovative Waltz for Koop
set. Also, the new CD's by Bob
Baldwin, Walter Beasley, Marc Moulin and
Femi Kuti get favourable
reviews.
THE DRAMATICS TODAY - The Dramatics
Story part 5 We had a 4-part story of The
Dramatics in our issues 4/99 - 3/00, and
now Heikki Suosalo updates the story with
this 5th part which reports about the new
albums, a movie and a book. Read all
about it in this 3-page article.
Let the Music put You on KLOUD 9 - An Interview with KLOUD 9
An interview with the twins who have
created probably the most exciting new
album of the year 2002 so far: Kelvis
& Kendall Duffie of Kloud
9. Read about their own
influences, their all-time favourite
tunes, the story behind their glorious
debut set and its guest artists (Incognito,
Karen Bernod, Kirk Whalum, Donald Hayes).
The album, titled On Kloud 9, is
our album of the
month in May, the review now being
available on our Website.
Quality Time Top 50 of 2001 The top 50 countdown of the most
precious quality soul gems in 2001. The
previous number ones of
our yearly countdown have been:
In 1992: I Want You Back by
SINCLAIR
In 1993: In Your Mind by VESTA
In 1994: Answering Service by
GERALD LEVERT
In 1995: Killer Blues by COZETTE
MORGAN
In 1996: You'd Better Believe by
OLA
In 1997: Diamond in Me by CHRIS
WILLIS
In 1998: I Have to by VESTA
In 1999: Fever by III FRUM THA
SOUL
In 2000: Take Time by LEDISI
So, who was the number one artist in
2001? Do NOT miss!
Deep
Introducing The Vintage Group and
Eddie Leon, plus
telephone interviews with Ray,
Goodman & Brown and Freddie
Gorman of The Originals.
The CD newies reviewed this
timealso include Betty Wright,
G.C. Cameron, Quinn Golden, Peggy
Scott-Adams and many other
interesting albums by veteran soulsters.
Upfront Soul
The number one heroine of the
"neo-soul" genre, Ledisi,
is back with an album that takes her even
further to the jazz than her exquisite
debut set Soulsinger. The review
of Ledisi's wonderful sophomore set Feeling Orange but
Sometimes Blue also on our
Website!
Other delights in our Upfront soul column
feature new CD's by Angela
Stribling, C-Nario, Maurice J
and Betty Wright.
