Meshell Ndegeocello’s ‘The Omnichord Real Book’ Is Stellar Soul Music
Meshell Ndegeocello always creates a mood around the music that puts rhythm, harmony, and melody in delicious orbits. This is a real genre-crossing soul album.
r&b
Yussef Dayes’ Debut Is an Enormous Statement of His Talent
Black Classical Music takes the listener on a highly groovy and ultimately fulfilling ride through the peaks and valleys inside Yussef Dayes’ musical brain.
All Things Reconsidered/Between the Grooves/Featured: Top of Home Page/Features/Music/Music Features
Between the Grooves of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’
In 1984, funk rock legend Prince combined music and film into a major extravaganza called Purple Rain, and it went to the top of the charts for 24 weeks in a row.
James Blake Revisits His Roots on ‘Playing Robots Into Heaven’
Playing Robots Into Heaven is ultimately a flawed album, but at times it’s a worthwhile foray for James Blake into more beat-led, dancefloor-friendly music.
Róisín Murphy Makes a Valiant Attempt at Being a Soul Diva
On Hit Parade, Róisín Murphy takes her sound – a swirling cacophony of electropop, synthpop, and nu-disco – and looks to soul to elevate her music.
Funky Bluesman Bobby Rush Offers All of His Love
As the title All My Love For You suggests, this is a love album. Blues artist Bobby Rush solicitously offers his feelings and suggests the best is yet to come.
When Record Labels Blasted Through the Barriers in Segregated America
While their motives were more mercenary than musical, American small record label impresarios could hear the barriers falling between the races right before their ears.
Ralph Gives Canadian Queer Pop a New Name with ‘222’
Eschewing male producers who didn’t necessarily see her creative vision in the past, Ralph also came out as a member of the LGBTQ community this year.
Dr. John’s ‘The Montreux Years’ Highlights His Very Best
The 14 performances recorded over 26 years at the Montreux Jazz Festival capture New Orleans’ Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack at the peak of his powers.
Little Dragon Return With Slinky and Assured ‘Slugs of Love’
Drawing from disco, funk, and R&B, Little Dragon’s Slugs of Love is genre-crossing music, achieving an artful balance of danceable tunes and reflective moods.
Black Thought and El Michels Affair Team Up for Throwback Hip-Hop
El Michels Affair’s Glorious Game blasts through its 12 tracks in a brisk 31 minutes and changes approach but keeps the focus on Black Thought’s verses.
Bettye Crutcher’s “Just the Way You Loved Me” Is a Stax Highlight (premiere)
Enjoy the incomparable Bettye Crutcher and her Stax Records demo for “Just the Way You Loved Me”, a sweet, romantic slice of irresistible soul pop.