Dave Matthews
On 2001's triple-platinum Everyday, the Dave Matthews Band put the spotlight even more on singer-guitarist Matthews and less on the band. Which is why Some Devil, Matthews's satisfying solo debut, won't come as much of a departure to DMB fans. Rather than pulling a Sting (who successfully reinvented himself as a jazz-popster after leaving the Police in 1984), Matthews sticks close to DMB's acoustic-based folk-pop sound. "Stay or Leave" is one of several gently affecting ballads that showcase Matthews's aching falsetto and evocative acoustic guitar. Meanwhile the first single, "Gravedigger," which appears in both rock and acoustic versions, is a song that Matthews has played on tour with DMB. It's typical of the disc's somber mood: "Gravedigger, when you dig my grave/ Can you make it shallow, so that I can feel the rain?" Phish's Trey Anastasio supplies guitar on the rock version of "Grave-digger" and three other tracks, including the haunting, country-tinged "Grey Blue Eyes," which he cowrote with Matthews. Although at times one wishes Matthews had stretched out more on his own, this CD will more than tide over his fans until the next DMB album.
POP
Erykah Badu
CRITIC'S CHOICE
Erykah Badu's abbreviated third studio effort may be an EP, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. Although Worldwide Underground doesn't match the artistic heights that Badu reached on her last disc, 2000's brilliant Mama's Gun, it once again finds the neo-soul priestess working her bewitching magic. Freed from the pressure of making a full-length album, Badu displays a greater sense of humor and a looser, more freestyle approach that recalls her concert performances. On "Woo" the singer playfully builds an entire song using the title word. But on this CD's highlight, "Danger," she returns to the emotional territory of 1997's "Other Side of the Game." Her lyrics about the struggle of a woman whose lover is imprisoned work with a musical backdrop of '70s funk and classical piano that could teach Alicia Keys a thing or two.
R&B
Sara Evans
Experience counts. At 32, Evans has been married for 10 years and has two children, and she brings a settled-down maturity to Restless. Her thoughtful latest album includes five songs the country singer cowrote, including the nostalgic ballad "Rocking Horse," which she composed with her brother Matt. Another reflective number is "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus," a midtempo tune about an unwed girl who gives birth on a bus. But there is such a thing as being too adult. Evans shows few signs of a sense of humor here ("Suds in the Bucket" being an exception). Still, there is a real sense of progression as Evans continues to develop her vocals and vision.
COUNTRY
Jimmy Sommers
Forget about the days Jimmy Sommers spent modeling and acting on The Young and the Restless: He only did it for the sax. Having sounded his arrival on the jazz scene with 1997's James Cafe and 2001's 360 Urban Groove, the alto man seems poised for a big blast. Lovelife, his third effort, is a feisty, likable disc, full of breezy smooth-jazz licks anchored in old-school R&B and chic neo-soul. "What Am I Gonna Do?" is a soulful lament smartly punctuated by Sommers's reedy accents. On the catchy title track, guest vocalist Macy Gray adds delightfully daffy lyrics: "Oopsy-daisy, baby/ Don't trip, it's my lovin'." Just beware the ballads; their gelatinous sentimentality definitely won't spice up your love life.
JAZZ
Aretha Franklin
She may be worshiped for her oldies, but the Queen of Soul's new material also deserves R-E-S-P-E-C-T. On the first single, "The Only Thing Missin'," Franklin's exuberant delivery perfectly matches the feel-good vibe of the song, which, with its gospel organ and bluesy guitar, recalls the work she did with Curtis Mayfield on 1976's Sparkle soundtrack. The entire album, refreshingly free of any guest rappers or trendy production, has a warm, classic R&B feel. Even Franklin's two jazz-kissed collaborations with hip-hop soul diva Mary J. Blige sound as if they could have been recorded in the '70s.
R&B
Lang Lang
Pianist Lang Lang, 21, has stormed to the top of the classical charts with his No. 1 CD Tchaikovsky/ Mendelssohn: First Piano Concertos, and everyone from Jay Leno to The New York Times has gushed over his technical virtuosity and fresh-faced appeal. The native of Shenyang, China, is in the midst of a world tour.
WHIZ KID "When I was 5, I played my first recital and I won the competition," says Lang, who got hooked on classical music from watching cartoons. "Tom & Jerry had just come to China at the time, and all the music in the cartoon is classical. I would move with the music."
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON "My father plays the erhu, a two-string instrument that we call the Chinese violin. When I play Carnegie Hall in November, I'm going to bring him out to perform a duet."
POP FAN "I like Eminem, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. I watch MTV, because I think about how we can bring classical music to MTV."
- Contributors:
- Chuck Arnold,
- Ralph Novak,
- V.R. Peterson,
- Bob Meadows.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
