Sunday July 29th 2001
This week I did not have too much time to
update the site, so only a few new singles
were added. I added one today, the new Maxwell "Lifetime". In the next
couple of
day I hope to upload more songs, so keep checking.
Also this week only one new album, the debut of Jimmy Cozier, a new singer
who, like Alicia Keys and Luther Vandross, is signed to Clive Davis's J-Records.
Maybe not as exciting as it first appeared to be, but still worth checking out.
Jimmy Cozier - Jimmy Cozier
The 'twenty-something' Cozier is an
impressive talent whose debut, simply titled
Jimmy Cozier, was released this week and is destined to makes its mark in the
canon of R&B music. One might describe this album as R&B, dappled with a
patina of Pop and Caribbean influences.
This native son Flatbush, Brooklyn grew up in a musical household. His father
is an accomplished saxophone player who exposed Jimmy to the pantheon of jazz
greats while his Jamaican-born mother shared her love of reggae and dancehall
music by playing recordings of Bob Marley
Jimmy embarked upon his musical career as background singer, all the while
learning, growing and preparing himself for the day he'd have his chance to
shine
as a solo artist. His voice was first heard on the Junior M.A.F.I.A single,
"Backstabber." In 1998, he was a member of Joe's "All That I
Am" Tour.
He's also toured with Boys II Men as well as Gladys Knight. The time spent on
the road allowed Jimmy to hone his writing skills and perfect his vocal style
which
is, at turns, deep and sonorous, sensual and urgent.
Jimmy's management, Upgrade Entertainment, shared a demo of Jimmy's
songs with Wyclef Jean, considered by many to be the creative "engine"
behind the multi-platinum selling trio The Fugees and a successful solo artist
in his own right. Not long after, Jean contacted Clive Davis and a meeting was
arranged. Equally impressed by Jimmy's writing skills and sound, Davis agreed
to sign him to his new label. He entered the studio almost immediately and
within a year Jimmy Cozier was born.
For his debut effort, Jimmy Cozier, Jimmy Co-wrote 10 of the 12 tracks-three
of them with Wyclef Jean. "Ten Love Commandments," "Time Stands
Still 4
No One," and "Heartfelt Letter" - are deftly written songs, each
with its own
emotional identity.
The first single "She's All I Got," written by Mike City (who wrote
and
produced the Carl Thomas hit "I Wish," and also wrote "Keep On
Lovin'"
and "One Woman Man" which appear on Dave Hollister's Chicago '85…the
movie."). "She's All I Got" is a tender ballad describing the
maddening frustrations
that often crop up in romantic relationships, yet still the love remains.
Through Jimmy will not name a particular track as his favorite, one which
particularly resonates for his is "So Much to Lose," which he wrote
and
which he describes as "a song which is morality lesson of sorts." The
song's
narrative recounts one man's night out with friends where he loses track of time
and upon leaving the club succumbs to the temptations of the flesh.
Jimmy Cozier features a number of highlights including "Cheated" which
is a
warning that if a lover has cheated or strayed in the past with someone else,
he/she is likely to do it to you; and "Stay Strong" an ode to single
mothers.
Jimmy Cozier ….. a name you'll want to remember, a voice you'll never forget.
Other news this week :
Kool & The Gang Set To Release New Album And DVD
Legendary R&B act Kool & the Gang
will give fans two reasons to cheer in the
next two months. On August 28, the group releases Gangland, its first album of
all new material in five years. The album debut is followed by the September 11
release of Kool & The Gang Live, a DVD comprising concert footage from the
group's concerts at the House Of Blues in Chicago last July, shows that featured
nearly 20 musicians on stage. The DVD culls the best of those shows into a two-
hour concert package wherein the group performs their hits as well as some
rarely
performed funk and fusion classics from the early '70s. Also included in the
live
collection is the new song, "Where The Boogie At," which features
several rappers
meshing with the group's hit "Jungle Boogie.
Alicia Keys fends off Aaliyah for No. 1
The music industry's newest superstar,
Alicia Keys, holds the No. 1 spot atop
the Billboard 200 chart for a second consecutive week, fending off a strong
debut
by Aaliyah, whose self-titled Virgin Records release bows at No. 2.
Signed to Clive Davis' new imprint J Records, Keys' "Songs in A Minor"
has enjoyed
the No. 1 position for three out of four weeks since the album's release. For
the week
ending July 22, "Songs in A Minor" scanned 221,750 units, while
Aaliyah's Virgin
Records release sold 186,900 copies, according to SoundScan figures obtained
from
industry sources
Brandy In Hollywood Recording With Babyface
Singer/actress Brandy is in Hollywood this
week composing and recording a couple
of new songs with producer Babyface for her upcoming album. The album which is
the follow-up to her 1998 "Never Say Never", is tentatively scheduled
to be released
November 20, 2001
Luther Vandross Shys Away From Jazz-Album Concept
Luther Vandross has vowed that he won't sit
still even though his just-released,
self-titled album has already sold more than 300,000 copies. The singer plans to
release at least one more track from Luther Vandross as a single in the next
month
or so, before he takes to the road sometime this fall.
Vandross's various music styles have allowed the 50-year-old singer the benefit
of crossing over into many genres of music, including R&B, pop, and jazz.
Vandross was asked if he'd ever consider recording an all-jazz album: "If I
did
that, I would be doing it just to do it, and just to be able to say that, 'Yeah,
I did a
jazz record once,' but I don't want to do that. You know, there are people who
live, breathe, eat, and inhale jazz as their passion. Well, I've always been one
to
never do anything that somebody else can do better, you know, and so, no, I
leave
that to them. I buy jazz records--I don't make them. Barbra Streisand may love
Tina Turner, but she's not going to include 'Proud Mary' in her act."