Joss Stone......

[tonym]

  sidewinder said:

She is from the County of Devon, just to the West of me. Some mighty fine looking females out there but they have a disturbing tendency to turn into heffalumps around the time they turn 30..

Devon knows how they make 'em so creamy

Remember that. I will now

As for Alicia Keys? Come on.

[RainyDay]

Okay. Joss Stone is the real deal and Alicia, Jill, Beyonce, India, are all pop. My guess is that you haven't heard much of any of them. Alicia is nothing but R&B and hip hop. She does old school R&B very well. Jill Scott is pop? Wow, to say that really suggests you don't anything about R&B at all. But Joss is the real deal. Oh, my.

[Chrome]

  BERIGAN said:

How many good soul singers are there these days???? (Who are under 30?)

Erykah Badu is only 34 ... and was under 30 when her first (very nice) CD came out ...

[tonym]

  RainyDay said:

Okay. Joss Stone is the real deal and Alicia, Jill, Beyonce, India, are all pop. My guess is that you haven't heard much of any of them. Alicia is nothing but R&B and hip hop. She does old school R&B very well. Jill Scott is pop? Wow, to say that really suggests you don't anything about R&B at all. But Joss is the real deal. Oh, my.

If that's how you interpreted it, sulk away

[Alexander]

  RainyDay said:

Okay. Joss Stone is the real deal and Alicia, Jill, Beyonce, India, are all pop. My guess is that you haven't heard much of any of them. Alicia is nothing but R&B and hip hop. She does old school R&B very well. Jill Scott is pop? Wow, to say that really suggests you don't anything about R&B at all. But Joss is the real deal. Oh, my.

I've never gotten into Alicia Keyes. She's a bit too pop for my tastes. But I am a big fan of Jill Scott and India.Arie. Both very fine soul singers. I'm also quite into Angie Stone (who sings back-up on Joss Stone's "The Soul Sessions," btw).

Never liked Mariah or Christina. Both of them oversing to the point of yodeling (although I will admit that Mariah does it better than Christina). Ever since Destiny's Child became big, I've said that Beyonce Knowles has a very fine voice. Unfortunately, she's never done material (that I've heard) that showcases her talent.

I like Erika Badu and I LOVE Meshell Ndegecello.

There are a lot of very fine neo-soul singers working today, and I'm glad that so many of them have gotten exposure. But all of their talent doesn't dimish Joss Stone's by one jot, and again it seems to me that she's getting the short end of the stick here because she's young, white, and pretty. She's done pretty well for herself singing well-written and well-produced material, whatever her age or race. Seems to me that Joss is the Norah Jones of the r&b scene: There are some people who are going to resent the hype, and trash her regardless of what she's capable of doing. I dug Joss the first time I heard her, and I have to admit that I'd never heard her name before...

In fact, I remember well how puzzled I was when I first turned on VH1 one morning and heard "Super Duper Love." At first, I was ready to dismiss this kid as another Brittany...but then I listened to the song. "Wait a second," I said, "This kid is singing SOUL...and she's pretty damn good!" The rest is history...or herstory...or whatever.

[RainyDay]

Calling Alicia pop makes me wonder how much of her stuff you've actually heard. I don't care for her more hip hop stuff but her R&B is very old school, which is why she is so popular with old timers like me. Joss Stone is just okay and it doesn't have anything to do with her race. She's just okay. As the evidence on this thread would indicate, she's a very pretty girl, which will carry her far. I suspect that Scott's and Arie's appearance might have something to do with the fact that people aren't falling all over themselves for them even though their singing ability is far superior to Ms. Stone's. When I hear Stone sing, I hear someone trying to be something they are not. There are and have been white folks who can sing soul, she isn't one of them, IMO. Teena Marie is white, and the woman can sing.

I would also add Lauren Hill to my list.

Edited April 15, 2005 by RainyDay

[jazzbo]

I think that India and Jill are beautiful women myself (though I like India to have some HAIR . . . . I have been listening to Jill lately and she's becoming a MASTER. I haven't heard that much of India; I liked a lot of her first album, though it didn't seem to be cohesive top to bottom. . . I imagine she's grown.

I like what I've heard of Joss too. . . . I don't think she has the experience on stage and the polish that Jill and India now have, but she may.

Still . . . when I want to hear singers. . . . I mainly reach for Billie, Loius, Marvin, Jack T, Carmen, Helen Merrill, Tom Jobim, Paula Morelenbaum, Elis. . . . But these people have a longer history with me, I'm comfortable and actually long to hear them.

[md655321]

  Alexander said:

  md655321 said:

Simply put, if she was black she would not be famous.

I don't see what the color of her skin has to do with it. Should white singers who sing soul NOT go into show biz because they MIGHT become more successful than worthy black singers? Should Elvis Presley have continued driving a truck because he MIGHT overshadow Big Mama Thorton or Junior Parker? If white singers get privilidged over black singers, its our culture's problem, not the singer's.

I agree completely.

Im just saying the reason why we hear about her is the supposed novelty of a white soul singer, when many other sould singers of a later age or of a different skin color are being overlooked and one's money can be better spent on them.

Speaking of soul, and off topic, anyone hear the new Solomon Burke record?

[BERIGAN]

  JSngry said:

... It's not fair to compare every tenor player to Trane or Rollins either......

Funny, I compare all tenor players to Larry Binyon and Babe Russin. I find it's more fair.

[Alexander]

  md655321 said:

Speaking of soul, and off topic, anyone hear the new Solomon Burke record?

Yes! It's AMAZING! Burke's cover of Dylan's "What Good Am I" is worth the cover price alone. Ray Parker, Jr. displays his guitar chops to great effect on this disc. He's definitely redeemed himself of "Ghostbusters" with this one...

The new Al Green is pretty great too. All in all, it's a good time to be a soul singer...

Edited April 15, 2005 by Alexander

[wolff]

  md655321 said:

Speaking of soul, and off topic, anyone hear the new Solomon Burke record?

I've been enjoying "Don't Give Up On Me', but there is a newer one, right?

Have not been enjoying Angie Stone's latest. Her voice is so buried in the overblown production, all emotion/message, etc. is lost.

Solomon's voice takes center stage and is impressive.

[RainyDay]

VH1 is having some whoop de do about Save The Music and it airs tomorrow night at 9 PM. John Legend, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Donna Summer, Joss Stone, and a couple other folks.

I was awakened at 5 AM by neighbors and clicked on the TV in time to see a series of videos of Stone's, most I'd seen, and I still don't quite get her. One song she does is not bad, where the singing feels more natural and not an affectation. Can't remember the title.

[wolff]

Went ahead and picked up Soul Sessions.

I love the production. Love the way her voice is not buried in the mix. A very clean, you are there recording. A huge failing in most recent pop/r&b albums. The backing vocals are close to perfect. The recording lets the energy and soul come through. Very well done!!!

At this point, I'd buy her future albums if they were produced like this (old school). I doubt this will happen, though.

Like this much better than the Sharon Jones and Angie Stone albums I just bought.

[GregN]

She is a very impressive young talent. Is she a novelty act? Yes, but not merely. She has gots some pipes. Would she still sell if she were black? Who knows? She would still have that age thing... Now, would she sell if she were 90? I guess if the production were the same and she had a slammin' fine booty, then yes.*

What?!

*Aretha is presently in the studio (I'm biting my tounge)

[wolff]

Not to stir up anything racial or weightal, but I could see her selling better if she was black and was a bit heavier. I got a scowl from a black friend when I asked him about her. I think I'll slip the CD in his car without him knowing who it is and then see what he says.

Speaking of production, she sings one song backed by a keyboard only....that's it, for 7.5 minutes. Balls, and she pulls it off. If Norah Jones tried that she would put the planet to sleep, for a long time.

Edited April 25, 2005 by wolff

[wolff]

  GregN said:

Now, would she sell if she were 90? I guess if the production were the same and she had a slammin' fine booty, then yes.*

What?!

*Aretha is presently in the studio (I'm biting my tounge)

LMAO

[Noj]

  wolff said:

Went ahead and picked up Soul Sessions.

I like Sharon Jones much better.

Fixed!

For me, Alicia Keys sounds too manufactured. Joss Stone is more raw than Alicia, and they're both overproduced.

Jill Scott is a few atmospheres above both of them, imo.

Haven't heard the Legend dude yet.

[wolff]

  Noj said:

  wolff said:

Went ahead and picked up Soul Sessions. 

I like Sharon Jones much better.

Fixed!

Time to find some Jill Scott.

[danasgoodstuff]

For what it's worth, I don't find much to get excited about in Joss Stone, or most of the other young singers mentioned herein, but then again I don't find any of them as bizarely affectated as Madeline Peru (I've largely avoided her new one on the basis of my strong aversion to the first one).

[Noj]

link

[GregN]

  Noj said:

  wolff said:

Went ahead and picked up Soul Sessions. 

I like Sharon Jones much better.

Fixed!

For me, Alicia Keys sounds too manufactured. Joss Stone is more raw than Alicia, and they're both overproduced.

Jill Scott is a few atmospheres above both of them, imo.

Haven't heard the Legend dude yet.

Jill Scott is an excellent artist and at this point has a more unique artistic-voice.

Or more succinctly, she is da bomb! (do people say "bomb" anymore?)(Is it "da" or "the"?) oh well...

As far as pure vocal talent goes... I am leaning toward Joss. However, music, to me, is not a competition.

With all the disclaimer, I still think Joss could kick Jill's ass, in a one on one battle of vocal emotivitication-isoity! NOW, LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!

lol, just kiddin', and all that...

ahem... jazz.

[Alexander]

  wolff said:

Speaking of production, she sings one song backed by a keyboard only....that's it, for 7.5 minutes. Balls, and she pulls it off. If Norah Jones tried that she would put the planet to sleep, for a long time.

That's her version of the Isley Brothers' "For The Love of You." THIS is the peformance where Stone really shows her chops. You're absolutely right...a lesser talent wouldn't be able to carry this off. In fact, as much as I love the Isleys, I actually prefer *this* version. I don't say that about many covers of soul tunes...

[GregN]

  md655321 said:

Speaking of soul, and off topic, anyone hear the new Solomon Burke record?

Yes. It is amazing!

[chris]

Joss Stone's first album really worked for me. The second not so much. Alicia Keys was great on her first album but has now gone totally pop in my opinion.

Stone's "For the Love of You" is an amazing number...

[Jazzmoose]

I'm completely unfamiliar with Joss Stone, but if you have to go all the way up to Aretha Franklin for an unfavorable comparison, she must be damned good!