Time: 35:21
Size: 80.9 MB
Styles: R&B/Soul/Blues
Year: 2018
Art: Front
[3:52] 1. Who Do You Love
[3:01] 2. Hold On
[3:06] 3. You Never Can Tell
[4:06] 4. Over The Mountain, Across The Sea
[2:47] 5. Searching For My Love
[3:15] 6. Long Lonely Nights
[2:26] 7. Going Back Where I Belong
[3:11] 8. Rescue Me
[3:00] 9. You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover/You Can't Catch Me
[2:50] 10. Can't Shake It
[3:41] 11. Sincerely
During the past quarter-century or so, soul revivals have happened so consistently that it’s fair to wonder if the sonic deities have a schedule. In the early ’90s, singers like Lisa Stansfield, Mica Paris and Carleen Anderson scaled the charts. During the late ’90s, Americans like Maxwell, Erykah Badu and D’Angelo infused contemporary R&B with a healthy dose of classic lyricism and soulful melody. Popular music of the early years of the 21st century was highlighted by the work of Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, Joss Stone and Amy Winehouse ; they kept the flame burning for vintage grit, funk and depth. Lately, there has been another revival sparked by the diligent efforts of Michael Kiwanuka, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, and Leon Bridges.
Toronto-based Elise LeGrow follows in their footsteps with her latest recording, “Playing Chess” (S-Curve), but the 30-year-old singer takes a different direction. Rather than faithfully cover classics from the Chess Records catalog, she successfully reinvents many of them. It’s an ambitious and vitally important endeavor; fortunately, she scores more than she misses on the 11-track, 35-minute recording. Tackling classic, cherished repertoire is a good approach for Ms. LeGrow. Her voice has depth and graininess, and she sings with a clear grasp of the lyrics. On her YouTube page there’s a stunning performance of Bill Withers’s “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Backed only by a guitarist, she turns the lament into a smoldering 3 1/2 minutes of yearning, pain and hope.
Ms. LeGrow is establishing a niche by interpreting songs that are many decades old. It would be valuable to hear her takes on more contemporary material. She has the talent to give them broader range and richer meaning. ~Martin Johnson
Toronto-based Elise LeGrow follows in their footsteps with her latest recording, “Playing Chess” (S-Curve), but the 30-year-old singer takes a different direction. Rather than faithfully cover classics from the Chess Records catalog, she successfully reinvents many of them. It’s an ambitious and vitally important endeavor; fortunately, she scores more than she misses on the 11-track, 35-minute recording. Tackling classic, cherished repertoire is a good approach for Ms. LeGrow. Her voice has depth and graininess, and she sings with a clear grasp of the lyrics. On her YouTube page there’s a stunning performance of Bill Withers’s “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Backed only by a guitarist, she turns the lament into a smoldering 3 1/2 minutes of yearning, pain and hope.
Ms. LeGrow is establishing a niche by interpreting songs that are many decades old. It would be valuable to hear her takes on more contemporary material. She has the talent to give them broader range and richer meaning. ~Martin Johnson
Playing Chess mc
Playing Chess zippy