Showing posts with label Maysa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maysa. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Maysa - Music for Your Soul

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 82:02
Size: 189,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:26) 1. Relax Your Mind
(4:06) 2. Music for Your Soul
(4:08) 3. Whatever
(4:09) 4. Down With Me
(2:31) 5. Beautiful
(4:17) 6. Time Can Heal (A Broken Heart)
(3:43) 7. One Step Away
(5:27) 8. Spirit 222
(3:55) 9. Make Sure You're Sure
(4:06) 10. Just Stay
(5:10) 11. I Don't Mind
(4:40) 12. Runnin' from Myself
(4:36) 13. I Still Believe
(6:14) 14. His Love
(3:48) 15. I Wanna Believe
(3:35) 16. Love Life
(4:19) 17. You Know How to Love Me
(3:54) 18. Let You Down
(4:49) 19. Lord I Thank You

Maysa voice sultry, jazzy and soulful powered Incognito to international superstardom on a series of albums in the 1990s “Tribes Vibes a Scribes,” “Positivity,” “Beneath the Surface” and “No Time Like the Future.” Maysa seamlessly made the transition to a solo career that has yielded 14 highly acclaimed albums and sold-out live performances, cementing her reputation as one of the best artists working in the game today.

Now as Maysa prepares to release her highly anticipated 14 th studio album “Music For Your Soul” the public will see her in a different and fuller light. What’s different? Maysa adds the title of label executive to a resume that includes lead and backing vocalist, songwriter and producer. Maysa established Blue Velvet Soul in 2018 to exercise fuller control over all creative and commercial aspects of music making.

“I wasn’t getting the kind of publicity or marketing backup for my albums that I thought I deserved, and I just thought if they are going to just throw my music out there, I might as well just throw it out there too and own it,” Maysa recalled. “That is what prompted me to start my own record label. I thought why not.”

The learning curve was steep. Maysa knows every aspect of the production side from songwriting to video production. However, she had a lot to learn about distribution and promotion. Fortunately, a mentor and longtime advisor helped her set up the label. The Blue Velvet Soul Records rollout began in 2018 when she released the songs “You Are Not Alone,” “It’s Gonna Be Alright,” “Loving You is Easy” and “Soft Words” as singles and then as a four song EP titled “The Fab First Four.”

The carefully planned rollout of Blue Velvet Records will culminate with the release of “Music For Your Soul” early next year. Sporting 19 songs, “Music For Your Soul” is ambitious in scope. Maysa worked hard to get these 19 songs ‘in the can,’ and could have easily dropped a couple of EPs on various streaming platforms. That is what many people urged her to do. “My colleagues told me don’t do this,” Maysa recalled. “Don’t put 19 songs on the album because nobody has that kind of attention span anymore.”

Maysa stood firm because her vision for “Music For Your Soul” is rooted in an idea that hearkens back to a time when music was more than a commodity. With Music “For Your Soul, Maysa” seeks to create an experience that will be the soundtrack for cleaning the house on a Saturday morning, musical sustenance for the long-haul trucker driving down a lonely highway or a mood creator for lovers spending a quiet evening together.

While Maysa plans to release “Music For Your Soul” in early 2023, but she’s blessed fans by dropping three singles from the album this year. The single “Whatever” is climbing charts and filling dance floors on both sides of the Atlantic. Aimed directly at the steppers set, “Whatever” is a percolating, percussive, breezy, mid-tempo jam that finds Maysa seductively telling her love interest that she has a single-minded focus on making him happy.

The simmering R&B ballad “Just Stay” finds Maysa taking a conversational but sultry tone that finds her dispensing with all pretenses as she asks her man to follow his heart and surrender to love. The Stevie Wonder ballad “Make Sure You’re Sure” holds a special place in Maysa’s heart. That tune appeared on the “Jungle Fever” soundtrack and Maysa served as a backing vocalist on that project. Maysa showcases her jazz chops on this tune as her torchy vocals and the piano engage in a dance.

Maysa notes that she always loved the album and plays it frequently, However, her decision to record “Make Sure You’re Sure” and include the tune on her new album were deeply personal. “I went through a little bit of a heartbreak during the pandemic, and that song just jumped out at me, so when I was going through what I went through I decided that I would remake this song.”

Maysa is crafting a masterpiece with “Music For Your Soul,” and the world will see that mastery when the album drops on March 31. In the meantime, Maysa released the latest single, “I Don’t Mind,” to commercial and critical acclaim. The song has been a mainstay at the top of the UK Soul Charts since its January release.
https://news.theurbanmusicscene.com/2023/02/maysa-to-release-new-album-music-for-your-soul/

Music for Your Soul

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Maysa - A Woman In Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:10
Size: 108,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. Am I Wrong (For Lovin' You?)
(3:43)  2. Love Theory (ft. Will Downing)
(4:34)  3. Round Midnight
(4:04)  4. Spend Some Time
(5:21)  5. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
(3:58)  6. A Woman In Love
(4:45)  7. The Lady In My Life
(4:37)  8. Willow Weep For Me
(4:03)  9. Honey Bee
(5:12) 10. I Put A Spell On You
(2:46) 11. When I Fall In Love

Maysa is, without a doubt, one of the finest soul/jazz vocalists of the past 15 years. "A Woman In Love" has Maysa breaking new ground. For the first time on CD, Maysa embraces some of the great jazz repertoire made famous by such greats as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and more, while still maintaining that unique, soulful Maysa magic. Like such artists as Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson and Melody Gardot, Maysa is bringing a new fresh sound to the world of jazz! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Love-MAYSA/dp/B002XZF956

Vocalist Maysa has the kind of soulful and husky vocals that allow her to travel seamlessly between genres. She’s amassed an underground-soul rep with the British funk-jazz band Incognito and built a following among smooth-jazz folk by guest-starring on projects by Rick Braun and Jonathan Butler, among others. She’s also recorded original R&B CDs and a couple of exquisite soul-oriented cover projects. But Maysa now hits her stride with A Woman in Love, which reflects her background and love of jazz (she named her son after the genre). This is a CD you knew was coming. She doesn’t totally discard her R&B leanings, but the best tracks here are the classics where her jazz training is reflected in tone and phrasing. “Willow Weep for Me,” “‘Round Midnight,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?,” “When I Fall in Love” and “I Put a Spell on You” precisely combine jazz reverence and Maysa’s R&B leanings.Working with producer and writer Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Maysa also crafts her own jazz magic on the original “Am I Wrong (for Lovin’ You?),” a samba tune showcasing the singer’s scatting. Elsewhere, Will Downing joins her for the scorching ballad “Love Theory,” and Maysa pays tribute to the late Michael Jackson with “The Lady in My Life.”~ Brian Soergel https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/maysa-a-woman-in-love/

A Woman In Love

Monday, August 28, 2017

Najee - Poetry In Motion

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Stratosphere
(5:31)  2. Is It The Way Back
(4:24)  3. Let's Take It Back
(5:19)  4. Noche Romantica
(6:19)  5. We'll Be Missing You
(4:49)  6. Song For The Ladies
(4:33)  7. Don't Make Me Wait
(6:28)  8. Poetry In Motion
(4:45)  9. Running Away
(3:50) 10. Duolology

One of the best-selling instrumentalists of the late '80s to mid-'90s, Najee has been a consistent favorite in the quiet storm and smooth jazz markets. Often compared to Kenny G, George Howard, and Dave Koz, the New Yorker has been greatly influenced by Grover Washington, Jr.although he hasn't been nearly as adventurous. Heavily produced and quite formulaic, Najee's albums have tended to avoid improvisation and strive for commercial radio airplay above all else. Debuting in 1987 with Najee's Theme, Najee was an immediate hit in the new adult contemporary (NAC) market. Similar pop/urban jazz dates like 1988's Day by Day and 1990's Tokyo Blue did nothing to jeopardize his niche on smooth jazz radio. On-stage, Najee takes some risks and stretches out more.

Morning Tenderness was released in 1998, followed by Love Songs (2000), Embrace (2003), My Point of View (2005), True Spirit (with John Grant, Victor Williams, and Dennis Chambers in 2006), Rising Sun (2007), and Mind Over Matter (2009). In 2012, Najee released his 14th studio album, The Smooth Side of Soul, featuring the track "First Kiss," a collaboration with R&B vocalist Phil Perry. Najee returned in 2013 with The Morning After: A Musical Love Journey, which included the song "Shinjuku," a tribute to the late jazz keyboard legend George Duke. Two years later, he delivered his 16th studio effort, You, Me and Forever, which reached the Top Ten on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2017, he returned with Poetry in Motion. ~ Alex Henderson https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/poetry-in-motion/id1266264056

This release includes guests:  Will Downing, Maysa, Incognito, Eric Roberson and Phil Perry, among others

Poetry In Motion

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Maysa - Love Is a Battlefield

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:00
Size: 112,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. The Things We Do for Love
(4:43)  2. Can We Talk
(4:58)  3. Love Is a Battlefield
(5:55)  4. Because It's Really Love
(5:13)  5. Inside Out
(4:53)  6. Inseparable
(3:37)  7. As Long As You Love Me
(5:10)  8. Footsteps in the Dark
(4:57)  9. Am I Dreaming
(4:07) 10. Mr. Dream Merchant

Roughly a decade after she released her first Shanachie album, the all-covers Sweet Classic Soul, Maysa recorded another set of reinterpretations, her ninth full-length for the same label. Compared to Sweet Classic Soul, the source material here is broader, pulling from six decades, stretching back to the '60s for "Mr. Dream Merchant," popularized by Jerry Butler. It is highlighted by another Isley Brothers quiet storm staple "Footsteps in the Dark," a stellar duet with All-4 One's Jamie Jones. A few other cuts originate from Maysa's late-'70s/early-'80s sweet spot, including the fiery ballads "Inseparable" (Natalie Cole) and "Am I Dreaming" (Atlantic Starr), and the tears-at-the-rink gem "Inside Out" (Odyssey), all performed faithfully, while the title track (Pat Benatar) gets a measured and restrained makeover. Updates of a couple early-'90s singles Nona Gaye's "The Things We Do for Love" and Tevin Campbell's Top Ten Babyface collaboration "Can We Talk" lead the album. "As Long as You Love Me," not the Impressions song, but the Justin Bieber hit from 2012, is the least expected selection by far. Maysa puts as much into it as she does anything else here, a satisfying companion to Sweet Classic Soul and her other covers LPs. ~ Andy Kellman http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-is-a-battlefield-mw0003033197

Love Is a Battlefield

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Maysa - Blue Velvet Soul

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:59
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. Beautiful Dreamer
(3:40)  2. Sophisticated Lover
(3:33)  3. Be There
(4:23)  4. Good Morning Sunrise
(4:18)  5. What Can I Do
(4:28)  6. Pouring Rain
(4:09)  7. When Your Soul Answers
(4:18)  8. Put It On Me
(4:18)  9. Inside My Dream
(4:12) 10. When You Touch Me
(4:43) 11. Quiet Fire
(3:10) 12. I Care
(3:43) 13. This Much
(4:52) 14. Nothing But You
(3:27) 15. Love Me Good

Released less than two years after Motions of Love, Blue Velvet Soul also follows the passing of Maysa's mother and the extended bout of writer's block that ensued. Going by the varied strengths of Blue Velvet Soul, one wouldn't know that the singer pulled herself out of a creative rut. Maysa gets some help from familiar and new songwriting and production collaborators, including Incognito's Bluey, Chris "Big Dog" Davis, and Lorenzo Johnson. One of three Bluey collaborations, "Good Morning Sunrise," is a gorgeous and plush midtempo duet, among a handful of highlights from the album's mostly relaxed front half. More notable standouts are saved for the album's back half, which continually shifts gears in pleasing ways. "Quiet Fire," written by Johnny "Hammond" Smith and Cheryl Friberg for Nancy Wilson's 1988 album Nancy Now!, is a surprising and inspired choice and should be a deathless staple of any contemporary quiet storm program. "This Much," produced my Mike City, recalls early-'90s house with its piano-led groove and uplifting spirit. Another Bluey tune, "Nothing But You," begins like an homage to disco-funk band GQ prior to unspooling into airy but confident pure disco. The album is laced with lyrical phrases that are likely to ping a soul fanatic's radar "hangin' on a string," "young hearts run free," "here, my dear," "let a woman be a woman, and a man be a man," and so forth but they all float by inconspicuously, like it's all happenstance, just part of another enjoyable and all-purpose Maysa album. ~ Andy Kellman http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-velvet-soul-mw0002538252

Blue Velvet Soul

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Maysa - A Very Maysa Christmas

Size: 99,6 MB
Time: 42:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Soul/Jazz Vocals, Holiday
Label: Shanachie
Art: Front

01. Joy To The World (3:38)
02. Jingle Bells (3:44)
03. The First Noel (4:31)
04. The Night Before Christmas Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (3:22)
05. Silver Bells (Feat. Gerald Albright) (3:57)
06. This Christmas (Feat. Will Downing) (4:39)
07. It's The Holidays (4:03)
08. Christmas Time Is Here (4:33)
09. The Little Drummer Boy (5:03)
10. Pray For Peace (5:04)

The world is flooded with Christmas albums. Do we need another one with the same old Christmas hymns? When Maysa is the performing artist, definitely yes. On A Very Maysa Christmas (2014) she works together with the excellent producer and keyboardist Chris "Big Dog" Davis.

Further musicians on this albums are Ace Livingston (bass), Rhon Lawrence, Wayne Bruce and Randy Boland (guitar), Thomas Dyani Akuru and Jazz Leak Akuru (percussion), Dexter Pettyway (drums), Gerald Albright (sax) and a large number of singers.

The album starts with the popular Christmas hymn Joy To The World. After an excellent intro Maysa introduces to her impressive choral arrangement. She approaches the song with a jazzy treat and a faster pace. She also gives Jingle Bells a new direction in this style.

Maysa doesn't cling to the traditional interpretation, but bestows each song like The First Noel an own character. Despite all familiarity she entertains with brilliant innovation. To present The Night Before Christmas as a rap is forgivable in the light of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town as a scat song.

The cheerful Silver Bells features Gerald Albright on sax in a swinging mood. In 1970 Donny Hathaway released This Christmas, later often copied. Now Maysa duets with Will Downing to catch up in the circle of illustrious artists. It's The Holidays is Maysa's own composition, which she has composed, along with Davis. A Bossa Nova swing with a certain ease.

Christmas Time Is Here was composed by jazz pianist Guaraldi, Lee Mendelson added the lyrics. Both created the score for A Charlie Brown Christmas. Maysa and Rashann Langley make the song a memorable experience. Maysa gives The Little Drummer Boy a magic African flavor. Thomas Dyani Akuru and Jazz Leak Akuru, Maysa's son, create the irresistible drum groove on the Sabar. The album ends with Pray For Peace, a remarkable choral completion.

Maysa has done with A Very Maysa Christmas her fans an excellent Christmas gift. Besides peace and good health you could wish for nothing better.

A Very Maysa Christmas