Too much of anything is never a good thing. A lot of the music we hear on cable or radio is so calculated, so imitative & humdrum, but this is really no big surprise as this formulaic approach is what is selling & driving the industry right now - the major recording companies could care less about art, diversity or beauty( far less, complexity). This has led to the rise of independent record labels to fill that void. I can rant on & on about this, but I'll spare you; instead, I will mention two current R&B releases which escape the narrow confines of the over-synthesized crap oozing from many stereos/ipods. Anthony David's, "As Above, So Below" & Jennifer Hudson's, "I Remember Me", are both melodic, lyrically-rich masterpieces. I'm a sucker for deep soul in the vein of Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, Aretha Franklin & Chaka Khan. Anthony David & Jennifer Hudson are both in this deep-river soul tradition. Although Hudson's music has a more contemporary, glitzy sheen, her Jennifer Holliday -voice keeps it rooted in the deep R&B tradition. It sometimes feels like we have to hold our breaths for a while before we hear quality R&B music from the likes of Jill Scott, India Arie, Raphael Saadiq, Mint Condition, Lauryn Hill & Maxwell. Oftentimes the wait is worth it as Maxwell's "Black Summer's Night" & the following selections from Hudson & David can amply attest to......
OneLove
:::MME:::
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