Maria Howell – Soul I was in Charlotte, N.C. when I first heard of Maria Howell; she was performing at a local jazz club downtown on 7th and Tryon. So once I got settled, I went downtown to the club and it was packed. As the night went on Maria Howell and the 7th St. Band turned it out, and this was a regular occurence every weekend. Now Maria isn’t limited to singing, she’s also a actress. She is best known as the choir soloist in the film version of “The Color Purple” (she’s sings the lead in the choir scene). She’s also appeared in Tyler Perry’s “Daddy’s Little Girls”. And…be on the lookout for her to appear in the Lifetime 2-hour feature (October 2008), titled “Living Proof”, starring Harry Connick, Jr. She has also lived, performed, and recorded in Japan, amongst her diverse collection of artistic adventures… Now living and performing in Atlanta, GA, Maria Howell has recorded a new cd called “Soul”, a collection of original songs, celebrating the musical mood of the 60’s and 70’s. All of the songs were written by talented producer/songwriter and Maria’s long-time friend, Bill Bradford. This nine-song collection embodies what we’ve been looking for, for a long time. Songs that make you feel good all around, just like they did in back in the day. Bill Bradford must have studied the Motown and Stax sound because he has written all nine songs that will take you back to that time period, and Maria’s voice fits every song completely. “Edge of Destruction”, “Let You Go”, “Pick ‘n Go”, “Last Flight Out”, “Optical Illusion”, “Where Did Our Dreams Go”, “Solve Your Mystery”, “Somethin’ You Got” and “Misconstrue” are all wonderfully crafted and will take you on a reminiscent journey. Maria’s star has been shining bright for many, many years and will continue to shine for years to come. Many Singers breathe life into the song, but Maria makes the song come alive. You may hear & purchase from these websites, click any of these links: CDBaby & iTunes.Here’s a video of Maria Howell! Marv D.The Urban Music Scene