SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE

While Mother Nature punishes the DC Metro area worse than what Father Time has done to Jasmine Guy, this is the perfect opportunity to pop in and knock the dust off. I greatly appreciate the comments I still get from the hundreds of you still wandering in here daily, thanks to my deep archives and very descriptive keywords.

I’m hoping that most of you are following me on Twitter where I try to keep you updated on all the new flava coming our way in 2010. Some time ago, I tweeted that 2010 was shitting all over 2009 musically for me thus far. I expect it to just keep getting better and better.

At the top of the list, you know I gotta talk about that unicorn blood gulping Helen Folasade Adu whose album, Soldier of Love dropped yesterday. Despite having the album in my hot little hands for the past couple of weeks, I trooped to the store today and purchased a copy as well. I can’t remember the last album  I actually bought. I prefer to support the artists by attending their shows. For Sade, I’ll be doing both. After ten years away, her album is just that good. I fall deeper in love with it every time I listen. I’ve enjoyed it at a listening party with my brothers and sisters in soul. And it’s been the  soundtrack for more intimate listening sessions. And it wins every single time. Cop. that. poste.haste.

I’m already predicting that she will headline a night of the Essence Music Festival. I’ve taken the time off of work already in anticipation. Just waiting for the word and praying for the right travel partner(s).

A couple of weeks before Soldier of Love dropped, Corrine Bailey Rae returned to the scene with The Sea. Overwhelmingly, most seem to agree that she escaped the sophomore jinx. It’s moody. It’s melancholy. Yet, it’s hopeful. She’d do it all again. Let’s hope it’s sooner than four years from now. If it is though, I’ll patiently wait. She’ll be in concert here and in Philly during my birthday month. I’m all over it.

Speaking of concerts, there will be no need to do a 2010 countdown of best shows I’ll attend this year. In two weeks for the first time in my young life, I’ll be going to see Stevie Wonder, the inspiration behind every word I write in this space. That show will fill slots 1-10. Hands down. Before you ask,there will be no video. I’ll be seeing him at the Kennedy Center. High falutin. So no video commando tomfoolery.

I know she’s no Stevie, but if Maysa comes to town best believe I will try to bring you video of her performing songs from her latest effort, A Woman in Love. Just when I think I’ve had my fill of cover albums, all it takes is a real singer like Maysa to pull me back in. I’m just saying. Her duet with Will Downing, “Love Theory,” will be on my babymaking soundtrack in a time far far away someday. If they don’t include her cover of “Lady in My Life” on the Michael Jackson tribute album and put some fantastic fuckery on there by BeowulfRihanna whoever is hot at the time it’s released, I will shut this whole thing down. Seriously.

Let me breathe and stop.

I also need you to pick up Jose James’ latest release, Black Magic. Let music and culture critic extraordinaire L. Michael Gipson tell you why. I haven’t spent much time with this album just yet. However, from this review and others, I can see that my thoughts after a first cursory listen were right on the money.

So what’s ahead?

We’ve heard tracks from Erykah Badu, who will release New Amerykah II: Return of the Ankh on March 30. I forgave her for this foolishment (I’m sure she pulled the most skullduggery of tactics to get my baby, the Grammy-nominated Bilal to participate in that mess).  Turns out she was just messing with us and it won’t be on the album. Cause then she turned around and dropped this gem. It sounds like a continuation of New Amerykah Pt. I. Which is of course a win to me.

I’ve sang the praises of Coultrain here before. He is dropping a second album this year and the tracks I’ve heard let me know that we’ll get more of the same. Again, that’s alright with me.

Julie Dexter and Leela James are also expected to drop new albums this year. Check out Julie’s single, “Transitions,” and Leela’s “Tell Me You Love Me“  Leela’s debut on Stax Records is expected to drop on May 4th. I will be front and center when she tours because that little lady tears the stage down.

In addition to the album watch I’ve already launched, I hear we can also expect:

• New music from Faith Evans, which Butta of Soulbounce has already put her stamp of approval on.
• A new project from the reunited Groove Theory (!!!!)
• Jill Scott- Light of the Sun (???) Will the label dispute shelve the album? Hell, Jilly from Philly can hawk the album out the back of her ride and it would sell like hotcakes.
• Yahzarah – The Ballad of Ms. Purple St. James (May 2010 – what can I say – May is THE month) She has been reporting live from the studio and the album will be released on Foreign Exchange’s label. Nuff said.
• Foreign Exchange – New album Fall 2010. Will we have stopped listening to the Grammy-nominated Leave It All Behind by then though?
• Zo! - Sunstorm (Summer 2010) – On the heels of the free.99 EP, …just visiting too, we should get a new album from the maestro on keys.

I’m about to renew my domain name so I guess I’ll be back. I have a couple of other projects I plan to launch in the coming months so I’ll be back to point you in that direction.