R&B artists' new CDs have mixed results

August 21, 2008

On the playlist this week, I check out recent, under-the-radar releases in R&B. Two of the artists are new to the scene. One has taken the indie route for his third album; and the other, an overlooked giant in '70s soul, returns with his first major-label release in more than 20 years.

Recent columns

• Velvet-voiced Anita Baker could try jazzing it up

  August 14, 2008

  Anita Baker has never really been a jazz singer. But she could be; she certainly has the chops. Over the years, the Ohio-born, Detroit-raised singer-songwriter has performed at jazz festivals around the world. On her six studio albums, all of which have at least sold gold, Baker has flirted with jazz. But in her 25 years as a recording artist, she has yet to take the plunge into the genre. What a shame.

• Dave Grohl and company: plugged and unplugged

  August 7, 2008

  There's clearly a struggle going on as Dave Grohl attempts to meld the best of two musical worlds. On his past two albums with the Foo Fighters (2005's In Your Honor and last year's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace), the singer/songwriter/guitarist/powerhouse drummer showcased more of his melodic pop leanings alongside the thrashing, riotous "rawk" that cemented his fame more than a decade ago.

• R&B singer Anthony David is sincere and down-to-earth

  July 17, 2008

  All he had was an acoustic guitar - no band, no dancers, no props. And he was casually dressed in a baseball cap and loose-fitting jeans. This was not a folk concert by the way. But Anthony David, an R&B upstart from Georgia, still managed to move the stylish crowd at Washington's Lincoln Theater on that chilly night last November. His voice - rough-hewn yet buttery in some parts, slightly reminiscent of Terry Callier - was full and engaging as he crooned self-penned, down-to-earth ballads of lust and heartbreak. He was funny, too, slipping in witty asides about crazy things men and women do while playing the grown-up game of love.

• Country legend Willie Nelson sings the blues

  July 10, 2008

  Although I purport to live by the words of the old blues song "ain't nobody's business if I do," I guess a small part of me still cares about what my friends think - especially my progressive, ultra-hip urban ones.

• Rollicking tunes for July Fourth barbecue

  July 3, 2008

  For a fun, soulful outdoor barbecue, there are several things you must have. Of course, there's the food: potato salad, baked beans, ribs. (And whoever is manning the grill better know what he's doing.) You must have beer and liquor for the adults, Kool-Aid or Capri Sun pouches for the kids. But if you want to keep the barbecue from sinking into lame territory, you must also have music - plenty of good, upbeat jams.

• Maze still gives us 'happy feelin's'

  June 26, 2008

  The song could be the unofficial anthem of modern black America. If there's a house party, barbeque, family reunion or nightclub packed mostly with African-Americans age 30 and older, the joint really jumps when somebody throws on "Before I Let Go" by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.

• From R&B to jazz, music for mature listeners

  June 19, 2008

  Iconsidered calling this week's playlist "music for the grown and sexy," but that tag is tired and overused. Yet it's an adequate description of the recently released CDs I've been spinning at home and in the car. The styles range from adventurous vocal jazz to hip-hop-laced modern R&B -- mature music you definitely won't hear on commercial pop and urban radio.

• Thoughtful Hil St. Soul deserves attention

  March 4, 2004

  Around 1996, the phrase "neo-soul" got folks all excited.