Music Reviews

Ron Isley’s name is synonymous with legendary music. Even before I entered the world in 1981, Mr. Isley’s group, The Isley Brothers, had already released nineteen albums. Serving as the signature voice of the group, Ron never officially released a solo project until 2010’s Mr. I.

Despite releasing a strong southern soul-influenced debut in the form of 1999’s Country Boy, North Carolina bred singer wouldn’t break through until his sophomore album 2:35 PM four years later, which featured the hit single “More Than A Woman.” While that is a great song, I wanted to highlight my favorite track from the album, “Not Like This.”

Comedy legend Eddie Murphy was fresh off the success of a starring role in the highest-grossing movie of 1984 when he went to the studio to record his first musical album. Carrying the title How Could It Be, the album arrived in stores on July 20, 1985. Famous actors dabbling in music was nothing new.

Over a decade-long career, crossover jazz artist Kim Waters had built a comfortable, quiet storm and R&B covers niche when his thirteenth album From the Heart hit stores on April 10, 2011.

Since releasing his solo debut twenty two years ago, the king of independent soul music, Eric Roberson, has built a dedicated fan base and continued to release quality music, all while staying true to himself.

Two days before headlining The Super Bowl LII Halftime Show, Justin Timberlake gifted fans his new album, Man of The Woods, on February 2nd, 2018, via RCA Records. For his fifth solo album, Timberlake decided to venture away from the R&B influences, which were the dominant force of his previous releases, opting instead for a country sound this go around.

R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné! was already immensely successful when their fourth album House of Music, hit stores on November 19, 1996. The Tonies kicked off the project with the dance flop bop “Let’s Get Down” and the lush ballad “Thinking of You.”
However, for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to showcase one of my favorite album tracks from the project, “Still A Man.”

The trio of Batman, Romeo, and LDB, better known as Immature, were nearing that time when their fourth album, 1997’s The Journey, arrived in stores on September 23, 1997.

For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, the typical choice would be to go for “The Arms of the One Who Love You” or “My Little Secret.” However, I decided to go with the album’s third single and my favorite Xscape song, “Softest Place on Earth.”

In January of 1971, Eddie Kendricks’ smooth falsetto had just given his group The Temptations another number one hit in the form of “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” when he decided to branch out on his own. In the spring of 1971, Kendrick took the leap and released his first solo album, All By Myself. 

As you know, it’s Slow Jam Saturday, and “Thank You” isn’t exactly a ballad. However, as die-hard Boyz II Men fans know, the EP for “Thank You” featured the ballad “Fallin,” which is this week’s pick for Slow Jam Saturday.

Boundaries and bonds are put to the test in a gritty crime-thriller drama about family, morality, and Maxwell is currently headlining The Night Tour with fellow soul-crooners Anthony Hamilton and Joe. As fans anxiously await the singer’s sixth studio album, I wanted to look back at his sophomore album, 1998’s Embrya.