As the world’s deals with the current pandemic, some singers are still readily releasing music. No stranger to cover albums, Dru Hill & Playa member Smoke E. Digglera drifts away from R & B to show off his vocal chops on his new album, A Juke Joint. Taking on jazz standards is a difficult undertaking for any singer. When Smoke announced the free project earlier this week, I initially thought he would modernize the songs or give them a hip hop feel.
To my surprise, Smoke generally keeps the same vibe of the original versions while singing the songs in a modern jazz style. The first song is his Smoke’s take on Robert Alda’s Luck Be a Lady. Music purists know the song from the musical Guys and Dolls. Smoke sings his version with smooth tenor with sprinkles of a rich baritone. I feel that this version would feel right at home on an episode of Godfather of Harlem.
Smoke’s version of Nat King Coles ‘Tis Autumn was also a surprise. Avoiding the pitfalls that some cover singers make when invoking Cole, Smoke uses his vocal to guide through the song with a natural flair. Ray Eberle’s “Imagination” and Kaye Ballard’s “Fly Me to the Moon” (later popularized by Frank Sinatra) were also enjoyable.
The standout track, though for me on this project, would have to be Smoke’s take on George Michel’s “Kissing a Fool.” Keeping the song’s original minimal instrumentation intact, gives the listener a chance to see how strong of a vocalist Smoke is.
I’ve been a fan of Smoke’s since his group Playa dropped their still classic solo album, Cheers 2 U in 1998. Throughout a fourteen year solo career that spans eight solo albums Smoke E. Digglera continues to provide fans with real R&B. As fans officially await his debut album with Dru Hill, a cover album of jazz standard will do just fine. The EP is available for free download at Smoke’s official site store.smokedigglera.com.
Final Grade B+
One of the great things about buying a soundtrack when I was in my DJ prime was discovering a slow jam that I could put on my mix CDs. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to highlight one of the songs: Jagged Edge’s cover of Air Supply’s, “All Out of Love.”
After twenty-six years in the game, Atlanta-based quartet Jagged Edge is currently on the road celebrating the anniversary of their magnum opus sophomore album, “J.E. Heartbreak,” with a tour titled “An Intimate Evening With Jagged Edge.” To kick off our seventh wedding anniversary celebration, my wife and I will be the D.C. date on the tour this coming Wednesday.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to travel back to 1999 and show some love to R&B group Amyth, which was initially signed to LL Cool J Rock the Bells Records. Hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the group was formed in 1995 while the members were students at Southern University.
Reviews And Dunn is a unique blog showcasing all things cinema, music & theater.