Soulsinger
Ask anyone who's ever caught a Ledisi show: the woman isoff  the hook! The Oakland-based singer is a gutsy, in-your-face  vocalist whose performances in the Bay Area pack 'em into every venue  she plays. WithSoulsinger, her remarkable, independently  produced debut, Ledisi effectively conveys her potent stage  presence--her honeyed, sass-sated alto slides between skillful scats,  gospel-inflected yelps, and all-out, gut-wrenching wails. There are  moments when the album's 16 original tracks (written by Ledisi and her  business partner/keyboardist, Sundra Manning) fall victim to schmaltzy  lyrics and tired hooks, but there are some genuinely inspired tunes  here as well. "Get Out of My Kitchen," the album's funked-out opener,  drips with a down-to-earth, homegirl vibe; and the interlude following  "I Want'cha Babe" finds Ledisi swinging like a seasoned jazz vet. But  it's on "Take Time," the album's first single, where this soulsinger  achieves the sublime. With its lilting groove and mantra-like chorus,  the song recalls such classic leisure anthems as Smokey Robinson's  "Cruisin'" or Christopher Cross's "Sailing," and is certain to ease and  inspire any world-weary soul.--Sylvia W. Chan