Brady Delivers

It's a little retro, very soulful, and definitely one for your collection. Wayne Brady has finally put out his solo CD, and frankly I wish he could outsell Jamie Foxx's double platinum effort about sex, sex, and more sex with a few rappers thrown in. Well Wayne's CD, "A Long Time Coming," is justly titled, has no rappers (except Wayne on the party stomper "Back in the Day" (one of my favorites), and is about love...sometimes, about love that has come to an end, like "You and Me," clearly about his recent divorce.

Nonetheless, Wayne's refreshing takes on the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" (turned into a ballad and a true gem on this CD), Stevie Wonder's "All I Do" (well done, Wayne!) and Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" are alone worth buying this CD. And yes, he actually puts his own stank on these songs and does not try to imitate the originators, unlike a lot of artists doing cover songs today. (I won't name names, but you know who you are, fakers!) The lead song, "Ordinary," isn't bad either. Loveliness can be found on "Sweetest Berry." That should get radio play. Kudos to Wayne, a man with a great voice.

My only hope is Concord Music Group will support this album and help put it on the charts in a good spot. Wayne needs to open up for some folks on tour, Maxwell perhaps?

It's been "a long time coming" since some really nice music not focused on the booty has been recorded by a man. Is the face of R&B starting to change?

Anthony's Got Flavor and Something to Savor

You could put Anthony David in the company of Southern vocalist Anthony Hamilton, but I think this brother can hold his own. "Acey Duecy" is a fine compilation of Southern Soul at its best, with lyrics that will give its listeners something to savor.

Anthony's not all about infidelity like so many other R&B singers. He's actually about getting his freak on with that one special Georgia Peach and trying to make a relationship last, as is evident on the song "Words" with India.Arie. You've gotta love this video, so check it out and let me know what you think. It is music and a visual for the soul.

And if your relationship isn't working out these days, give this song a listen and get creative and patch things up! Tell your mate "Pagebu" and Anthony David influenced that truce.

And Anthony, I'm loving that nose ring! Retro never goes out of style...or beautiful male voices for that matter.

video.umrg.com/anthonydavid/words/quicktime.asp

Loving This Woman

Finally! Chante Moore has a new solo project! And this one is for the heart. "Love the Woman" is Chante as we all know and love her, a songstress who sings about love, but what makes this project special is that this CD cuts to the core of some REAL issues in love - and they're not all pretty. (Hmmm. Are Kenny and Chante having marital problems? Stop prying, Pagebu!)

One of my personal favorites is a song called "My Eyes." For anyone who has ever been in a relationship with someone that possesses eyes that cannot lie, this song reveals what they mean at critical times in the relationship. "Always Gonna Be Something" urges couples to stay together because, the truth is, if we don't get it right with our present mates, we're gonna come face to face with them again in a new relationship. They'll just have a different name but will act the same. "It Ain't Supposed to Be This Way" is about when love starts looking like pain.

So Chante fans, if you're ready to face love head on, this is the album for you. And for Chante's exploration in honesty and singing songs that cut to the core of when relationships go wrong, I have to say, I'm loving this woman.

Lalah, Lalah, Lalah!!!

It is always refreshing when a talented artist makes a thought-provoking CD that is beautiful in content, vocal delivery, and lyrical and musical composition. Eulaulah's (yes, that's her given name) latest offering, "Self Portrait," introduces each listener to her soul.

My wish for Lalah is this: Can a real man come along so this woman's heart won't remain broken? While poignant with each note she sings from her divine gift, I hope that one day, just like Mary J. Blige and Chante Moore, Lalah will be able to sing songs about finding love and keeping it.

Then again, aren't we all searching for that, or am I the only one?

Check out www.germuse.com soon for a Lalah Hathaway page. In the meantime, get to iTunes or Best Buy or wherever you buy your music legitimately and support this amazing vocalist. Show Lalah the love she deserves!

Lyfe Sucks. Period.

I hate to say this, but Lyfe Jennings' new CD, "Change," sucks. I am very disappointed in his (or perhaps his label's?) decision to "assimilate" his sound. What is up with soul singers? Why is that after a few albums, they start making pop songs that are so demeaning to their beautiful, soulful voices and degrade their sounds? I've seen this happen time and time again. Hell, even Usher's doing it on "Here I Stand" (and if "Love in This Club" is not pop, I don't know what is). Nonetheless, I think this is Lyfe's worse CD, and wish this soulful man would have continued telling his life story and made more songs like "Never Never Land" instead of opting for "change."

Madonna, Come On!!!

I am thoroughly convinced that some of the veterans making music today are losing their minds. Maybe it has something to do with age. First Janet needs "discipline" like she hasn't been out of control long enough, and now Madonna teams with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on one of the wackest so-called dance records I've ever heard. (Can someone tell me why they only have 4 minutes to save the world 'cause I really don't get the madness.)

Crotch open, something in your mouth, and more atrocious songs for the kiddies at 49. Madonna, come on already!!! I thought you were evolving so nicely with "Ray of Light" and "Confessions on a Dance Floor." Now you put out this? Why didn't you hire one of those great foreign producers like you have in recent years to give you a distinctive sound and not a Timbaland and Neptunes sound?

Madonna, come on!!!

Mariah, Retire!!!

Okay, so "E=MC2" is out, and frankly, I'm not impressed. I mean, how gullible are fans nowadays? Don't they know rehashed material when they hear it? "Touch My Body" is not original. It sounds like something I've heard before but can't put my finger on. It probably has something to do with the fact that it was produced by Jermaine Dupri, whose sound, when it comes to ballads is sooooo predictable and repetitive at this point in his career. Sorry Janet!

I've been tired of Mariah ever since I realized that her breasts got awfully big over the years, and she insists on trying to play the cute role and wear tight things when she, in my opinion, is not sexy. She's not really that cute, either. But it is the voice that I admired, back when "Vision of Love" brought her to the public realm.

Nonetheless, she is the last of the Mohigans, the last of the superstars with clout and quality albums behind their name. (The Mohigans also includes Madonna, Janet, and Whitney, although, the latter may already be in the pasture.)

Despite the fact that she can still go multi-platinum and currently holds the record for having the most number one singles, let's face it, the pipes ain't the same. (She doesn't hit those high notes anymore. Am I the only one taking notice?) I also believe that Mariah needs to take a break. Hell, between her and Beyonce, they are two people who don't know how to go somewhere and sit down so that fans can miss them awhile.

So unless the voice comes back full blast, the breast confession is rendered, and she stops having cheesy hit songs under Jermaine Dupri's production hand, I have one recommendation: MARIAH, RETIRE!!!

Ray J - R&B's Latest Double Standard

I am really tired of male R&B singers, and rappers for that matter, engaging in sexual acts and being rewarded with success or awards (i.e., R Kelly) instead of jail time or a ruined career. Even so-called R&B singer Justin Timberlake catapulted to even bigger fame in the R&B industry after being the one responsible for the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" Janet Jackson experienced. And now...there's Ray J.

"Sexy Can I" is receiving extensive airplay and is the number one ringtone on iTunes. He even had the number R&B/Hip-Hop album on Billboard's chart last week with his latest release "All I Need." I guess that sex tape and his endowed member helped his career tremendously.

But my thing is this: Why is it that women are ridiculed and scandalized and have to recover ten times what they accomplished when R Kelly and Ray J and myriad other males become sex symbols? Kim Kardashian may have a show on TV, but she also has a tarnished image. Ray J, on the other hand, has adoring fans.

When are fans going to wise up and either applaud the women as well or let the guys feel a little heat? I guess the sad fact is, when it comes to sexual acts, men always get the glory...unless they are not built like Ray J.

It's Gonna Be A Live Nation

First Madonna. Then U2. Now Jay-Z. These are just a few of the artists who are going to make big bucks over the course of the next 10 to 12 years through Live Nation. Artists like Madonna and Jay-Z are leaving the majors and signing on with the soon-to-be extremely wealthy concert promotion company with deals that consist of things such as selling their merchandise, backing their concerts with dollars, and in Jay's case, money to start a business venture. My question is, while all of that may sound great, why would artists of their caliber commit to a company so long?

Better yet, why not start their own business ventures and just seek endorsement money for their tours from a company like Live Nation? And even more important, why does Jay-Z need a $20 million advance? Isn't he rich enough?

These kind of deals are just another example of the rich getting richer. I just wonder, given the state of the music industry, if they will be that profitable in the end.

The State of the Music Industry

Since there isn't much going on in terms of hot music right now, I just wanted to say that I hope things get better. I am presently working on my colloquy (Master's Thesis) about how the industry is really going down hill with each decade. There is no originality anymore, and I don't have the impulse to buy music like I used to. (Maybe that's a good thing. I'll have more money in my checking account...not!)

Concert prices are ridiculous, so I guess there will be a few artists I just won't get to see before I die, like Madonna, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, and George Michael. Speaking of which, why is he charging $254.50 for tickets when he comes to Madison Square Garden? George, I like you, but I don't like you that much!

And I really wanted to see him too! He's such a handsome man with a velvet voice! I guess I'll have to watch my DVD collection of him and listen to my CDs instead.

Music industry! This is not the way to make up the deficit you have in CD purchases! Artists! Stop charging these asinine amounts for fans to come and see you! Music is the saving grace for many, but now it's just becoming insanely expensive to get a little bit of basic entertainment.

That's it. I'm done.

Ms. Kelly, What Have You Done?!!!

Take a good look at this picture, folks, because it'll be the last time you see Ms. Kelly this way.

First it was the hair. Now the breasts.

Ms. Kelly, what have you done?!!!!

Kelly Rowland, formerly of Destiny's Child fame, has gone under the knife and enlarged her cup size...

I'm just one of the messengers folks, and she supposedly has admitted doing it!

Don't get me wrong, she may not have Beyonce's curves, but she is a beautiful woman with a descent voice in comparison to most.

But I guess she needed to buy breasts in order to see that.

Janet Needs Discipline

Love Janet to death, yes I do, but why would such a beautiful chick put such an ugly picture on her latest album cover? And when is this beyond grown woman going to stop singing about sex, sex, and more sex? (Janet, we already know you have that S&M fantasy fetish, but did you have to title your album about it?) Don't get me wrong, "Discipline" is a great song, and some the tracks are hot to death, but I would have preferred a title like "Evolution," to represent one in this fabulous artist.

I can't wait to see what Billboard reveals about the album sales this week. Should be interesting.

The Return of Badu

One thing is certain: Erykah Badu never lied when she said she was an artist on her 1997 album "Live." Ever since her sophomore project, "Mama's Gun," it's been apparent that she is not making records to sell CDs or to please a particular audience. Erykah Badu makes music because she has a lot to say about the state of the world.

Gone may be her trademark wraps when she first debuted, introducing her fans to "Baduizm," but perhaps there is a reason Erykah has chosen to unwrap herself. Just one listen to her latest effort, "New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War," and one can see that Erykah is in touch with the disparity of the classes, racism, and senseless political relations, and had to uncover that head so she could sing about it and help her race attain solidarity in the process. (Love how she stuck her name into the title.)

Without a doubt, this is one of the best soul albums of all time, definitely on the level of the legend, Curtis Mayfield. (Badu even incorporates him into her verses as a sample, clearly paying homage to a man she is trying to emulate.) It shares the social consciousness of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," only difference is, Badu clearly knows what time it is.

I have to applaud Badu for her boldness in lyrical form on "Master Teacher," a song that I would not do justice to if I were describe it now. (I strongly recommend giving it an intense listen if you own the album or are curious about it's lyrical content.) I also love her throwback to 70s music and the blaxploitation period on the intro and outro of this thought-provoking project.

Artists like Erykah Badu are rare in this day and age because sex, sex, and more sex seems to be the way to get radio airplay and sustain a career. It is up to true music fans, however, to seek and demand music with alternative messages. There's nothing wrong with using our brains to think and analyze the world we live in, right?

Sharon's Got Dap!!!

If you weren't at the Beacon Theatre on February 16, 2008, you missed a funky good time! It's been a long time coming, but Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

Not competing with today's sounds, filled with technology and tracks covered with mediocre voices "sweetened" with Pro-Tools, Sharon Jones is a true vocalist, who gives her audience nothing but soul in every note. Her band, The Dap-Kings, deliver the funk and musicianship a la The JB's.

If you've never seen James Brown perform, or maybe miss those legendary performances, check out his female counterpart, Sharon Jones. On her latest record, "100 Days, 100 Nights," her voice resonates with each lyric from the title track and throughout the feel-good project, but it is in concert that this woman soars.

Don't believe me? Check her out for yourself.

A Grammy Affair

Is it just me, or are the Grammys becoming more and more ridiculous each year? Is it just me, or did Cirque du Soleil cheapen some of the greatest music of all time, the Beatles' "A Day in the Life," with a display that only the most artistic would understand? Is it just me, or have we hit an all-time low when Song of the Year is a song about refusing treatment for substance abuse? (Apparently, it's not just me because Natalie Cole thought Amy Winehouse didn't deserve that award either, considering the lyrics. Sorry to Carrie Underwood's songwriters because you deserved it. "Before He Cheats" was pure genius. Then again, "Rehab" was too, just a bad message. Did I just contradict myself?)

Is it just me, or did Herbie Hancock make the upset of the year with his Album of the Year win? Don't get me wrong, I love Herbie to death, but for the first jazz win ever in this category, should it really have been "The Joni Letters"? Yes, it's a nice album, but I think "Gershwin's World" (another Herbie CD) was better. Frankly, I was hoping Amy would have had a clean sweep. I think she actually deserved it, considering her competition.

I could go on and on and on about the 50th Grammy Awards celebration, but I think I'll start wrapping it up. One quick note, however. Why were a majority of the main categories not announced on air? No R&B, no pop. And really, did we need to see Kanye? He's such a media hog and even tried to get respect at the expense of his dead mother. I would have much rather seen Prince or Chaka Khan give acceptance speeches, although they were both upsets. "Funk This" was not the best R&B album in my book, but I love ya, Chaka! (Did I contradict myself yet again?) And Prince did not deserve best male R&B performance for "Future Baby Mama." If "Adore" was in the category, or "Purple Rain," I would have been all for a Prince win.

Who did deserve to win? The Clark Sisters. "Blessed and Highly Favored" is truly a great gospel song, and "LIve-One Last Time" was a hot-to-death gospel CD. So the Grammys got that right. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Common win, albeit with Kanye, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Southside," and Jill Scott and Lupe Fiasco win for Urban/Alternative Performance. Although I didn't review the other nominees, it's always great when talented people who don't commercialize their lyrics or personas win. So two other right votes for the Grammys!

But what was up with Patti Austin winning Best Jazz Album? That Gershwin project (unlike Herbie's) kind of sucked.

Okay. I promise. I'm done.

A Cello Rondo

Who would think such an eccentric looking man could make such beautifully rhythmic music? If you haven't seen "A Cello Rondo: Amazing Video of a Song Composed Entirely of 37 Cello Parts," I strongly suggest you check it out. Putting the video aside, "A Cello Rondo" will leave you awe-stricken. This is a classical piece composed by Ethan Winer that exudes creativity, replete with a melancholy change halfway through the six-minute-plus composition.

Now don't get me wrong, the video is far from amazing. It's quite quirky, in fact. Seeing, however, the composer's dexterity on the cello is breath-taking. I was surprised that some of the instrumentation was composed entirely on a cello and not with additional string or percussion instruments. When watching the video, Winer helps one see how his work came to life, and is a great supplement for any unbelievers out there. I would have been one if I did not see the video.

So if you're looking for a great piece of music to listen to, check out "A Cello Rondo." And Mr. Winer, if you're reading this, I'd love for you to make your track available to iTunes. I'd gladly purchase it for ninety-nine cents.

Dionne's Back!!!

Nothing warms my palate like the return of an artist that has been gone for years. That is how I felt about Anita Baker's return, and always feel when Janet drops a new CD; but there's something different that gets boiling inside of me when it's an artist that is outspoken and innovative. Dionne Farris is such an artist.

She first came on the scene with the "extended family" rap group Arrested Development and sang the lyrics to the hook of "Tennessee" with such soul. ("Won't you help me.") Then she went solo and had the big hit "I Know," a pop ditty from her CD "Wild Seed - Wild Flower." (If you haven't heard it, it is a gem!) Now she's back, 13, yes, thirteen years after "Wild Seed..." And she sounds better than ever.

What is it about Dionne Farris that I love so much? Maybe it is her brashness via her lyrical content. On "Wild Seed..." she wasn't afraid to sing about being sexually abused or growing as a woman. On her return CD, "For Truth if Not Love," she admits to making the mistake of getting involved with a married man. While pondering the meaning of this title, I almost feel like Dionne is saying to her fans, 'This album represents what I felt I needed to say at this point in my life. I deliver it to you because it represents my truth, if not love for the art of music...true, creative expression.'

If you love soulful vocalists, funky music, and lyrics that speak the truth and could only be written from a deep place found in one's soul, treat yourself to Dionne Farris' "For Truth if Not Love." For it speaks one woman's truth, if not her love of her craft. It exposes a woman, deep at her core.