Quality Time
Another two pages of Quality soul gems
from recent CD releases.The real cream
cuts this time include tracks by
Sandra St. Victor, The Main Ingredient,
Gwen & Charles Scales, Shabazz, The
O'Jays, N'Dambi, Angie Stone, Connye
Florance and Ledisi.
The Soul Scale
Our albums of the issue include The
O'Jays, Ali-Ollie
Woodson, Angie
Stone, and the Manhattans featuring
Gerald Alston back on
lead vocals. Other CD's reviewed in this
issue include Regina Belle,
Gerald Levert, Khani Cole, Charles &
Gwen Scales, Cooly's Hot Box, Dennis
Taylor, Babyface, Macy Gray and The
Temptations .
AN INTERVIEW WITH TY STEPHENS -
Musical Chameleon Ty Stephens' CD Deeper
in Fantasy was our album of the
issue in October, and in this issue we
have an exclusive interview with this
talented soul/jazz vocalist who was
nominated as "The best
vocalist" in BET Jazz Discovery and
has already been compared with Luther
Vandross, Will Downing and Peabo
Bryson with a jazzier edge. Read
about Ty's major influences, about the
tracks featured in his excellent album,
and his opinions about contemporary
major-label R&B.
Jazz-Funk
Four pages of excellent
jazz-funk/soul-jazz releases, starting
with the "album of the year"
for our columnist, Michael Franti
& Spearhead's Stay Human.
Other major events include the new CD's
by Jill Scott, Peter White, Brian
Culbertson and Jeff
Lorber. Also, the tribute albums
to Bob Marley (A
Twist of Marley, produced by Lee
Ritenour) and Grover
Washington (Various artists: To
Grover, with Love) are well worth
checking.
Introducing KELLI SAE
An interview with the stunning new lead
singer for Incognito, Kelli Sae
- arguably the best ever Incognito
vocalist. Kelli has also
released a solo CD and guests on the Count
Basic album.
ALI OLLIE WOODSON - the
legendary Temptations vocalist finally
releases his solo debut
Ali Ollie Woodson, photo courtesy of
Lazy Junco, see http://www.ollywood.jp Ali-Ollie is the former
lead singer of the Temptations,
and our editor regards him as "the
best soul vocalist ever". Ali
Ollie's final album with the Temptations
- at least so far - was the 1995 album For
Lovers Only. Finally, six years
after that album Ali Ollie gets his first
solo album released, see our album of the month in
December. Read the in-depth interview
with Ali Ollie, including his own
comments about the new album.
THE FANTASTIC FOUR - The complete
story with an interview Read the complete 7-page story
of The Fantastic Four, a
group out of Detroit fronted by Sweet
James Epps. Read the full story
with interview comments by the remaining
group members Ralph and Joe
Pruitt and Paul Scott
(after the demise of James Epps
and Cleveland Horne).
The discography
also on our website.
Deep
Briefly introducing Sheba
Potts-Wright, Lil' "Fallay" Boy
and Queen Isabella with
telephone interviews, and a wealth of new
CD reviews from artists like J.
Blackfoot, Carl Sims, Chuck Colbert, The
Chi-Lites, The Main Ingredient, Willie
Clayton, Mel Waiters, Millie Jackson and
Johnnie Taylor Jr. (the
son of Johnnie Taylor).
Also, two book reviews featured: The
Atlantic Story by Ahmet
Ertegun and The
Autobiography of Quincy
Jones.
Upfront Soul
The last issue of 2001 closes with some
truly appetising new double sets by N'Dambi
and Jill Scott.
Also, the comeback album from Main
Ingredient is solid as a rock,
and Connye Florance is
another BET Jazz Vocalist winner.
