When you have influences as wide-ranging as alternative, afro-punk and bluesy-tinged pop, oscillated between homes in Georgia and Washington DC and have a vocal range that recalls a Fiona Apple rather than a Ledisi, it’s practically a given that you are not a cookie-cutter R&B artist. And over the past seven years too many listeners… Continue reading Alice Smith’s “She,” ST CD Review/Preview Link
Tag: SoulTracks
What Makes Folks Still “Love, Charlie”? The MOC/ST Chat With Charlie Wilson
His catalog is enviable, his pipes are golden and for decades, “Uncle Charlie” Wilson has enthralled both the old school and new school set, packing out arenas with grown and sexy live shows and remaining a chart-topping presence on the Adult Urban Contemporary charts in the post-Gap Band era. Overcoming ageism, alcoholism and an addiction… Continue reading What Makes Folks Still “Love, Charlie”? The MOC/ST Chat With Charlie Wilson
Charlie Wilson’s “Love, Charlie” ST Review/Preview Link
In a pivotal scene from 1998’s hit comedy, The Wedding Singer, Sammy (Allen Covert) warns a jilted Robbie (Adam Sandler) to avoid the misguided Casanova moves he once adapted from fictional TV characters. “You know what happened to Fonzi and Vinny Barbarino? Their shows got canceled….because no one wants to see a 50-year-old guy hitting… Continue reading Charlie Wilson’s “Love, Charlie” ST Review/Preview Link
Destiny’s Child’s “Love Songs,” ST Review/Preview Link
Think about it: thanks to the chart-topping success of songs like “Jumpin’ Jumpin’,” “Bootylicious,” “Soldier” and “Independent Women (Pt.2),” the quartet/trio known as Destiny’s Child is primarily remembered for—and defined by—- bombastic, booty-shaking and pro-woman pop and R&B grooves. Although their vocals were delivered with power and precision, it was easy to write them off… Continue reading Destiny’s Child’s “Love Songs,” ST Review/Preview Link
Teena Marie’s “Beautiful,” The ST CD Review/Preview Link
Genuine, generous and gifted with a down-to-the-bone level of soul: before there was a Duffy, an Adele or an Amy Winehouse, there was the incomparable Christine Marie Brockert, a.k.a. Teena Marie. A porcelain-complexioned, green-eyed wisp of a woman that drew shock, then lifelong street cred, for her undeniably urban aesthetic, Ms. Marie’s sumptuous soprano and… Continue reading Teena Marie’s “Beautiful,” The ST CD Review/Preview Link