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July 2007

Ledisi – Lost & Found

Ledisi returns in fine fashion to supply Neo Soul listeners a new fabric of compositions to await the ear. With production backup from Rex Rideout & various others, including Ledisi herself, track after track will leave you in a talespin of reality & non-fiction.
 
She is well backed in the instruments department. You have: Rex, Michael White, LaDell Abrams, John Roberts & Tommy Bradford on the drums; Melvin Davis, Dwayne Smith, Nelson Braxton & Maurice Fitzgerald on bass; John Smith, Errol Cooney, Darrell Crooks, Alvin White & Rick Watford – guitars; Kenneth Knight & Sundra Manning – Organ & Keyboards; Luther Hanes – Drum Programming, Keyboards & Key bass; Javier Solis – Percussion; DJ Rocky Rock – Scratching; Phillip Lassiter.

This gem is so tasty, many of you will struggle to get this one out of your player. And believe me, its not only because of the creativity behind the cutsm but the vocals behind the mic!! Ledisi lasy it on the line – much needed in an industry starvin’ for pure vocal talent! Better yet, its refreshing! I’m diggin’ the entire release. Watch out for it ya’ll August the 28th! I apologize for the early warning, but then again, am I really apologetic???

Start from the opening applause of “Been Here (Intro)” & catch the attention Ledisi really brings to herself as she struts into the opening of this album; “Joy” drops a memorable melody dressing, a simple finger snapping staple that it quickly becomes catchy!; Rex gets a small endoursement for the mid-tempo’d “You & Me”…a reminder of things to come from this super-producer throughout this centerpiece; “Best Friend” goes straight to the heart & soul of the Neo scat. “I’m in love, I’m in love with my man!…my Best Friend”; “Alright” drives home the point of sentimental soul – laid back with the catchy hooklines!

 
The rest of the album will take the breath out of me. 16 tracks of total flavor folks! Total Flavor! Highly Recommended without a doubt! It should quickly become one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. Yeah Baby!!
 
Track Listings:
— Been Here (Intro)
— Joy
— You & Me
— Best Friend
— Alright
— Think Of You
— Today
— Get To Know You
— Upside Down
— In The Morning
— I Tried
— Lost & Found (Find Me)
— We Are One
— The One
— Someday
— Been Here (Outro)
 
Ok…Ok…There were other tracks needed to be mentioned. My Badd!
 
Go straight to “Get To Know You” & simply…FLOW! Slow it all back down with “In The Morning” & you’ll catch my drift in a hurry! Clearly one of my favorite tracks on the project! Listen to her blow ya’ll!

Ledisi wrote all of the tracks with help from Rex Rideout & the crew mentioned above. She doesn’t mess around folks! And ultimately you will absoultely pleased.

On The Real…

T.J.H.

Marcus H. Mitchell – R&R

Sophomore project from Marcus Mitchell, entitled “R&R (Rest and Relaxation)” is an excellent followup to his ’05 release “Jumpin'”. Right away you get a sense of real maturity from the opening track. And as you listen to the album in it’s entirety, Marcus stays true to his central theme throughout. At only 24 years old, he plays like a seasoned pro. With influences like the late Charlie Parker, its not hard to see why this young saxophonist is headed for stardom!

The album starts off with a bang with “Saturday Night”. With an attention grabbing yet subtle intro its no wonder it has become a hit single. It also doesn’t hurt to have starpower like Jeff Lorber (Narada Jazz) on your team, as he lends a hand with a tasty solo to end the track. Slow it down and cool out with “Summer Breeze”. Nice urban groove with some excellent flute work. For all the late Art Porter fans out there, you’ll be sure to appreciate this one. “Diamond in the Ruff” has tribute written all over it. Art would be proud. (R.I.P.). Marcus keeps it smooth with “Deep Concentration”. I’m impressed with the beautiful blend of sax and trumpet! Way to go Dontae!!!

Title track “R&R” is a real crowd pleaser as not too many artists still showcase the bass guitar as prolific as it is displayed in this track. Nice and slow, but not too slow, with an absolutely awesome arrangement. Pay attention to the incerdible drum work, you percussion fans, as well as the guitar solo by Beau Talley. Turn it up a notch and bump the bass; “Groove Lounge” is sure to get you on your feet. With a cool bass line and snazzy sax playing no doubt you’ll press repeat. M. Anthony does a masterful job wiht the programming here and on “Makin’ Moves”.
 
Now every good jazz album MUST have at least one late night cruzin’ track. Well here it is with “When We First Met” featuring Blackbuddafly. Next, Marcus does a great job on an old favorite; “Outstanding”! This ones not over the top like some other artists who try their hand at recutting a classic. The Gap Band would be proud. My personal favorite on the entire album is “Sharpshooter”. Written, produced and arranged by non other than the incomparable David Dyson, you will definitely understand why when you hear it. Check out the bridge. And “Just Groovin'” wraps up the album nicely. 

If you haven’t already picked it up, go get it. No disappointments here. Beautiful job Marcus and The Urban Music Scene looks forward to your next release.

Cliff Evans

Michael Ghegan

Michael Ghegan

It’s a crisp fall evening, autumn leaves fill the yard with vibrant colors, and the sound of music is flowing through the air.

This musician that I am referring to has written and produced music for popular television shows, including ‘Extra’, ‘Ellen Degeneres’, ‘Sharon Osbourne’, ‘The Bachelor’.


This constantly touring saxophonist and keyboardist whose musical travels have taken him from intimate performances for the President of the United States to on-screen collaborations with Elton John to arena gigs with Aerosmith, and has played all over the world, from Tokyo, Japan to Mogale, South Africa; from Istanbul, Turkey to Pori, Finland; from Kiev, Ukraine to Moscow, Russia.


A graduate of the Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts with degrees in education and jazz performance, he is also a music teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels as well as an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

He is currently on tour with Keiko Matsui, and he has just released is debut cd, his name is…
Michael Ghegan.

 

His debut cd is self-titled, and it’s a warm, sensual, funky cd at that!

 

“To not have you”, is a nice mellow song that sets the mood for the rest of the cd. This song is a very simple song just a few instruments, layered in such a way, it let’s Michael play with ease, and plenty of room to improvise.

 

“Deep end theory”, picks up the pace a little, but not to fast, I love the bass line on this song, it just stands out and catches your ear and Michaels sax playing

is so laid back, it just makes the song so smooth.

 

This is my favorite track on this cd “He said she said” is so nice and smooth

Michael is just dominating this track with interchanging sax solo’s, this song reminds me of jazz from the early 90’s, where strings made from a keyboard was the sound to have on your cd.

 

Michael slows it down a bit with “Finding Mariah” this is a very sexy and mellow song, kind of haunting in a way. The emotion that he put’s into this song sounds like a love he has lost and playing his heart out to get her back

 

More to give has me turning down he lights, where you visualize Michael playing right there in front of you, the passion is flowing out of that saxophone

And with all that passion he found time to lay down a nice little piano solo

 

“Paris metro am, other shades, and “should you stay” are about as mellow as you can get, Michael is just playing at his own pace, which give these songs great ambience, nice a sensual.

 

Justaliddabit is a very lighthearted song, with lots of room to improvise, but

He sticks to the groove and just lets it ride for the rest of the song.

 

“If Fortune lied” is dedicated to Chris Colasanti, who passed away at 9/11

this song is so emotional and you hear it in his playing. Keiko Matsui guests on this track and lays down a very nice piano solo.

 

Michael Ghegan debut cd is very refreshing and funky, and with a great line-up of talent to compliment Michael from Keiko Matsui, Mel Brown, and Michael Bland both from the prince camp.

With a debut like this Michael will be around for along time.

You can find out more about Michael at Michaelghegan.com.

J. Dee – Tippin On The Edge Of Funk

Here’s a new release from a new Record Label, TheNuGroove, insisting flavor is expected to come to ya’ll with a quickness!! He’s “Tippin’ On The Edge Of Funk”…

And J. Dee doesn’t mess around! Recorded in Victorville & Sunland, Ca, J. Dee had pretty much produced & written all the tracks, excluding the Smokey Robinson song “Quiet Storm”. Either way, his skills behind the sax should be the matchmaker to your listening pleasures. It carries overtones of R&B Funk, but also elements of seductive love ballads, harmonic solos & head noddin beats! His wind in …

The J. Moss Project – V2

The Urban Gospel sensation gets a revisit from T.U.M.S.! Ever since Kirk Franklin & Fred Hammond has broken out with hymnals that can send special scriptural elements to the streets & abroad comes another Brother willing to stretch the stage out even more, with given talent & structural composition. This …

Curt Jones – 360 Degrees

He was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1957 & came from a highly trained musical family. Not only was his Grandfather, Hershel Davenport, a Big Band Leader, His Aunts recorded as The Davenport Sisters for Motown. He became a member of the Symphonic Express & he had been the …

Acoustic Alchemy – This Way

With the release of “This Way”, Acoustic Alchemy’s first album under Higher Octave/Narada Jazz’s association with Blue Note Records, guitarists Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale celebrate a remarkable two decades since 1987’s Red Dust and Spanish Lace established the British ensemble as an ever evolving, powerhouse force in contemporary jazz. …