By babs cabs (194.200.176.245) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 06:49 am:

are there no more good voices?
out of all the newer artists who would you rate as
singers? or are we just loosing all the good voices?
by new i mean in the past few years

some ideas, norah jones, beverly knight, will young (yes i think he has a 1/2 decent voice!),
eva cassidy..........

By medusa (66.73.5.165) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 08:32 am:

Jaheim (when he's not doing the rap songs)
Kem
Donny
Rueben Studdard

By Livonia Ken (136.1.1.101) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 09:41 am:

She's not in the soul/R&B category, but I could listen to Alison Krause sing the phone book and be happy. I saw her in concert at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor around '95 or '96 and was mesmerized. The fact that she has that voice and is also a gifted fiddle player is just downright unfair.

It's so hard to tell whether or not someone can actually sing when every track on a CD seems to be a collection of umpteen composite takes with digital processing applied.

Regards,
Ken

By Livonia Ken (136.1.1.101) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 09:42 am:

Whoops! It's spelled "Krauss".

Regards,
Ken

By Rhythm and Blues Showcase (65.229.15.59) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 09:47 am:

Clay Aiken
Justin Timberlake
J.C. Chasez
Christina Aguilera
Nora Jones

also what's with all these one name singers out there today. I can understand Aretha, Cher,and even Luther was once known as Luther vandross. Usually after they've made some kind of mark or stamp in the music business they go with the one name thing. Is it Madonna that started that?

By Handsome (170.118.157.134) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 10:04 am:

The ones who "CAN" sing are underrated, while the ones who "Can't" sing just primp & jump around. They can't stand flat footed & sing! We know who most of them are.

It seems as though "anybody" can make a record these days.

Handsome

By boynextdoor (65.238.91.207) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 10:38 am:

I thought the group "Brownstone" could really sing as a group. One of the few newer girl groups that could carry a tune and have a voice above a whisper. They had great harmonies. Unfortunately they only lasted 2 CD'S? "5 Miles Till Empty" was great.

By Handsome (170.118.157.134) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 11:19 am:

boynextdoor, I feel ya!

Along with Brownstone, I liked Zhane', SWV (Coko, in particular) The Braxtons, Toni's sisters (I have their cd) had nice leads & harmonies.


Handsome

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 11:21 am:

Who CAN sing? IMO -
1) Kira - She was one of the members of Brownstone who is now doing more rock-oriented material. Her voice is resilient and powerful.

2)Blu Cantrell - Very impressed with her first album - "(Oops) Hit 'Em Up Style" had a touch of jazz and showed off her versatility

3) Jaheim - The boy can sing, gotta give him props.

4) Donnie - Sounds a bit like Stevie Wonder but with a more latin/jazz/soul twist.

5)Beyonce - If she can chill on the vocal pyrotechnics Beyonce can really blow.

6) Norah Jones - She can sing but she really doesn't move me. Gotta hear some passion in her vocals (which I don't).

7)R. Kelly - Controversies aside, this man has passion and guts in his style. "Chocolate Factory" showed that Robert can sing like the best of them when he focuses on the material

8) Marc Anthony - His Spanish albums are great, his English albums may be too sugary-sweet but Marc's vocals are powerful and passionate no matter what he sings. Did a wonderful job with "All In Love Is Fair" from the Stevie Wonder tribute CD "Conception".

I'll stop here....

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By babs cabs (194.200.176.245) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 11:57 am:

i know what ken means about judging people of CD's
sometimes its hard. its the live shows that
people prove their worth.
soooooooooo many people mime nowadays, why?!?!

By Eli (172.153.10.92) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:15 pm:

Ali Woodson
Marc Anthony
Michael McDonald
X Tina
Clay Aiken


R&B...Usually, when a singer reaches a certain "plateau" especially in the R&B world he /she is referred to, in conversation, by their first name.
They are not professionally changed.

Madonna started the trend of "one name acts" especially in the dance arena.

By Handsome (170.118.157.134) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:26 pm:

KevGo-I think you're referring to Kina Cosper (of Brownstone, who took MiMi's place).

I also agree with your choices, Jaheim (he's an ole soul singer to me) Blu Cantrell (I have both cds) Donnie-a remarkable young man (anyone who doesn't have this cd, PLEASE pick it up and look at the words as well as listen to the music). R.Kelly too, despite his troubles.

I also think Beyonce' will go far, though she has a ways to go.

Handsome

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:31 pm:

Thanks, Handsome, for the clarification. Kina's album is the bomb.

Donnie's album was originally released on the Giant Step label before Motown picked it up and issued it. Along with Kem, it is one of the few albums I like that is rooted in the classic soul sounds of the 1970s.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Handsome (170.118.157.134) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:44 pm:

KevGo-Motown has picked up Donnie too? Good 4 them!

I'm still waiting for the release date for DJ Rogers' Jr. cd (on Motown).

Handsome

By Handsome (170.118.157.134) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 12:50 pm:

Here's another singer that's TOTALLY UNDERRATED:

Frank McComb-I first heard him on a Buckshot Lefonque CD. He is also featured on the "Meteor Man" sound track. He also released a cd on Columbia records. His voice is reminiscient of Stevie Wonder & Donny Hathaway...it's almost haunting! Check 'em out!

Handsome

By Charmedes (142.165.109.69) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 01:39 pm:

Here are a few people I've enjoyed hearing during the last few years, not necessarily "great" singers, but I thought they were interesting and effective in the presentation of their individual genres:

Regina Belle - All by myself (Show me the way)
Jimmy Ray - Jimmy Ray (Are you Jimmy Ray?)
Alicia Keys - Songs in A minor (Fallin')
Shakira - Laundry Service (Whenever, wherever)
Blue - All rise (All rise)
Eros Ramazzotti - Eros Ramazzotti (Cose Della Vita
with Tina Turner)
Loreena McKennitt - The Visit (Tango to Evora)

I hope these performers are around for a few years as I think it would be interesting to listen to their individual styles evolve.

By Des (81.152.238.63) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 06:54 pm:

Babs/Of the new artists,most have been covered so far (plenty to check,if we go back 10 years cf R Kelly - complete accord with KevGo's comments).
BTW,I read a little about Tevin Campbell having some legal issues a year or two back,can anyone fill me in on whatever's become of him? I thought that boy could sing.....
And someone mentioned that Musiq couldn't sing - no-one argued on that Thread -- tell me it isn't so.I've never seen/heard him singing 'live',so I thought from the 2nd album(which I bought) that he was a pretty good vocalist --- is it really 'smoke and mirrors' for him,too???
I anxiously await the good or the bad news...

By boynextdoor (65.238.140.7) on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 08:31 pm:

I don't get the Alicia Keyes thing. She never seems to open her mouth when she sings. Her stuff seems flat and monotonous....not much fire. She IS pretty, though. Maybe it's just me. I've tried listening to her first CD several times and can't get even half way though it. BORING. I may be shot at sunrise for that remark!

By Caleb (171.75.84.199) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 01:05 am:

Steve Perry is the real deal.Is into HDH big time.Read where Thom Bell would love to record him.Peace

By Charmedes (142.165.109.58) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 03:43 am:

Boynextdoor; on one of Alicia's websites a bio is presented. Here is an excerpt; "...At the age of seven, Alicia was introduced to the piano. She studied classical music from Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin (which was her favorite) and delved into such jazz greats as Marion McPartland, Oscar Peterson and Fats Waller...Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway were all her inspirations as were Biggie, Tupac, Jay-Z and Wu-Tang. She took all of these different genres of music and rolled them all into one, to create a style all her own....

...The road to success wasn't an easy one. Born to a white Mom...and a black Dad...she grew up in Hell's Kitchen, New York..."

Now that the world seems smaller, I do believe that it is young people like Alicia with their rich variety of influences and multi-textured exposure to different approaches to music who are the wave of the future. They have a broader base on which to build their careers and the world now seems ready for their often more sophisticated approaches.

She's still a young woman with hopefully a very long and interesting career ahead of her.

Just a note of possible interest: I once read that one of the character traits that made Alexander the Great so successful was that with each new culture he conquered, he would search for and integrate the best of what it had to offer as it related to his personal goals which helped to make his future campaigns all the more successful.

Goodnight, work comes early...

By fayette (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 05:03 am:

i might add that alicia keys may not be
my cup of tea, but i believe in giving
people their credits. alicia to me is a very
matured vocalist.she reminds me of a
roberta flack,natalie,denise williams,as
far as vocal maturity goes.Falling is a
beautiful song. i think the reason it stood
out for me is that it's different from the
he other janet jackson sound alikes.

any
have a blessed day everybody

By babs cabs (194.200.176.245) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 05:22 am:

she is not that recent, but i thought lisa stansfield
was pretty good too, there is also sam brown another good
voice. reuben studdard yes, we couldnt vote over
here in the uk, but we saw the show.
lynden david-hall he is another good one, though
not heard much in the past year or so of him.

By Livonia Ken (136.1.1.101) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 09:18 am:

I like Lisa Stansfield, too. I thought her cover of "Just to Keep You Satisfied" on the "Inner City Blues" Marvin Gaye tribute album from eight or so years ago was the highlight of the whole project.

Regards,
Ken

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 12:51 pm:

Ken:
Ditto on Lisa Stansfield. Saw her at Radio City Music Hall in 1992 and she sounded fabulous.

Her "Affection" and "Face Up" albums are my favorites. Too bad Arista USA didn't release her last couple of CDs (had to get them as imports). On her CD "Face Up" (released in late 2001) her voice is stronger and fuller.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Eli (64.12.97.7) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 02:34 pm:

Just prior to Lisa Stansfield's solo carrer, she was part of a group called "Blue Zone", which was basically Lisa, her boyfriend and another bloke."

I was doing things with Arista UK at the time , and the group wanted to do some "Philly style things" and I was in the running to produce the act, but at the ebd of the day, they wanted Gamble and Huff themselves, but that was an impossibility at the time for some reason.
Blue Zone and I would have definitely made some "Philly style" records, thats for sure, and in Philly to boot!!!

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 03:39 pm:

Lisa also cut "People Hold On" with Coldcut before she went solo. This tune was as close to anything Philly-influenced they could've done (it was a dance/club track).
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By SB (199.183.170.110) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 07:11 pm:

I thought Patti Austin could sing. I loved her "Take Away The Pain Stain." She sounds a little like Tammi IMO.

Whatever happened to her?

http://the.soulclub.org/stream/Patti_Austin_-_Take_Away_The_Pain_Stain.ram

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 07:58 pm:

Their loss Bobby.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 08:50 pm:

SB:
Patti Austin is still performing and recording. She recently earned an honorary doctorate at a college commencement.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By babs cabs (194.200.176.245) on Friday, August 01, 2003 - 04:53 am:

re: lisa stansfield and blue zone, i remember them!
this was played quite a bit on the london pirate radio scene.
i recently aquired a copy of 'big thing' by them,
that was the song i remember.
i always thought it was funny, her with that big voice then
after the show you would hear her broad rochdale accent 'you want a cuppa'?

By Charmedes (142.165.104.191) on Saturday, August 02, 2003 - 04:47 pm:

Check out Lisa Stansfield's duet with Barry White called "The longer we make love" on his "Staying Power" album.

By Nish (66.119.34.39) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 02:47 pm:

I really like Kem, Lizz Wright, and Vivian Green. Adriana Evans is a good singer, don't know where she is though. Norah Jones is okay.

By Handsome (170.118.157.134) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 02:56 pm:

Nish-I have Adriana Evans cd....I love the song, Seeing' is Believing. When you find out where she is...let me know thanks.

Handsome

By stillsoulin (81.132.154.63) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 03:43 pm:

babs cabs, i saw sam brown singing live with jools holland a few weeks back, boy can she sing, i never thought of her as a blues singer before, how wrong was i!!!! not a new artist but one i hadn,t taken too much notice of before.
rob hurcomb uk.

By babs cabs (212.23.23.232) on Monday, August 04, 2003 - 03:47 pm:

yes adrina evans! i got the album, its really good. what is she doing now?

yes sam brown, brilliant. she has for a track on jools holland 'big band small world' album. cracking voice.... beverly knight does an amazing performance on that album too.... jools can pick em'