Whoever said R&B is dead is dead wrong. There are still some great R&b artist out there. Leela James is one of them.
Around since ’05, when she released her debut album, Leela James has been been invoking the spirit of the great soul/R&B singers of the past, but with a contemporary approach. Ms. James has left her old label and is now signed to Stax Records, the legendary home of some of the greatest soul and R&B artists of the past half-century, to release her new album, My Soul.
The first single off My Soul is “Tell Me You Love Me,” a track that was produced by hip-hop producer Gerrard Baker (Toni Braxton, Billy Crawford, Masta Ace), who used a sample of James riffing on a line from “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye,” the classic ballad made popular among soul audiences by the Manhattans in 1978. The beat is as smooth as butter and Leela James’ voice is so rich and full of emotion on the track that you can’t help but to stop and just listen to the melodies, range and feeling she puts into the song.
Leela James is performing at Gramercy Theatre in NYC on 8/4. Tickets are available at http://www.livenation.com/event/000044A6E97F88F0?artistid=976352&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=202. Hope to see you there!