The New Voices of Today Presents…
Chelsea Baratz | In Faith
by Brent Faulkner
It is always a ‘breath of fresh air’ to hear a young, new voice in jazz. This time, the new voice comes from über talented saxophonist and composer, Chelsea Baratz, who sounds like a seasoned veteran at the ripe ‘old’ age of twenty four. On her debut effort, In Faith, creativity runs rapid whether it be funk-oriented numbers or more cerebral, neo-traditionalist cuts.
Alexander Boynton Jr. | Doo Bee Doo Bop By Randy Mahon This extremely talented bassist hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, now residing in Canada, self released a fine 12 song collection of Smooth Jazz numbers that incorporates elements of Latin, R&B, Funk and “Slow Jams”. Every, and I do mean, EVERY, …
The Rance Allen Group | The Live Experience II
By Peggy Oliver
(Coming Jan. 25th, 2011)
Keyshia Cole | Calling All Hearts
by Brent Faulkner
Keyshia Cole experienced mega success from her first two albums, The
Way It Is and her most critically lauded effort Just Like You. A
Different Me, her third album was successful as well, if less so than
the first two, but spawned ‘minor’ hits through “Playa Cardz Right”
featuring the late 2Pac and “Trust” featuring Monica. That said, it
didn’t garner the success it deserved or that the Cole camp would have
envisioned, despite debuting gallantly at #2 with 322,000 copies sold in
the first week. Who knows if Calling All Hearts is supposed to be a
‘reaction’ to more timid sales or airplay, but some slight cues signify
such (a parental advisory label, a Nicki Minaj feature, etc.) For the
most part, there is not enough change here to signify that Cole is
searching for a new direction as she continues to do what she does best –
adult contemporary themed R&B. ‘Calling All Hearts’ is not Cole’s
best album (some may even argue it is her weakest), but that said, it is
still a strong, worthwhile affair. To continue, Please click “MORE”!