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.
Waters’s saxophone skills had paid tribute to Boyz II Men, Maxwell, and Anita Baker on his previous albums. However, for From the Heart, Waters took it back to the seventies with an elegant cover of The Spinners’ hit “Love Don’t Love Nobody.” While Waters’s musicianship alone could have done the song justice, the sax man brought in Jazz from Dru Hill for the vocals.
Arguably, the best singer in the Baltimore-based group, Jazz never tries to imitate Phillipe Wynn, the song’s original singer. Instead, Jazz makes the song his own and allows the listener to feel his emotions as he croons:
“Sometimes a girl will come and go
You reach for love, but life won’t let ya know
That in the end, you’ll still be lovin’ her
But then she’s gone, you’re all alone”.
Waters and Jazz’s chemistry comes across so natural if Jazz ever had the chance to have his solo career, I would have loved to see Waters as his musical director on tour. My only complaint about the song is that we do not get a chance to hear the song’s spoken word.
Final Grade: A
“Love Don’t Love Nobody” from From the Heart is available on all streaming platforms.
For their second single, the group presented a ballad entitled “Feels Like The First Time.” Once again, Greene handles the lyrics, while Neville Hodge is responsible for production duties. Greene begins the song with robust energy, proclaiming his love for the lady. Greene’s group members provide stellar work on the background vocals, and the songs eschew nineties R&B without going into crass vulgarity.
The ballad was composed by Michael Masser and lyricist Gerry Goffin, and it was first recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1981. Eight years later, Natalie Cole covered the song, shortening the title. It became the fourth single from her twelfth album, “Good to Be Back.”
Braxton’s vocal talent is perfect on the standards “Christmas Time Is Here,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “The Christmas Song.” However, like any good R&B Christmas album, it is the soulful yuletide bops where Braxton truly shines. The album’s first single, “Snowflakes of Love,” is instrumental of Earl Klugh’s “Now We’re One”. Braxton’s lush vocals encapsulate the warmth and joy of romantic love amidst a wintery backdrop.