Phil Perry | A Better Man
by Peggy Oliver
Phil Perry’s new CD is called A Better Man. This is more than a suitable title considering while some musical voices decline with age, Perry’s creamy tenor still glides through the elegant romantic ballads and almost anything that is handed to him or writes about.
Jazmine Sullivan | Reality Show (RCA)
by Brent Faulkner
Prior to the release of her third album Reality Show, it had been nearly five years since Philly R&B artist Jazmine Sullivan had released a new studio album. It seemed after another critical home-run in sophomore album Love Me Back that Sullivan simply disappeared from the face of the earth. Gone were the commanding pipes of one of contemporary R&B’s most impressive new voices.
Maya Angelou | Caged Bird Songs
by Peggy Oliver
Unquestionably, Maya Angelou stands as one of the most influential poets for the human race. Graced with an extraordinary touch that could gently sway one minute and fiercely attack the next, Angelou (who passed in late May of 2014) championed for urban social injustices and other pressing issues with her mighty pen.