Jimi Williams - I Think I'll Stay Home Today - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

In the last few years Jimmy & Immy - AKA James Maddock and David Immerglück, multi-instrumentalist of Counting Crows - have fired up the stages of Italian clubs. Last February Appaloosa Records decided to capture that feeling and the improvisation often missing in studio albums with a live recording. Together with the two artists, special guest dobro player Alex Valle. The recording is flawless, cozy, intimate, and you can hear the audience's enthusiastic reaction to the interplay among the acoustic instruments. A surprising record revolving around the amazing voice of James Maddock and the talent of all musicians, from the overwhelming guitar of Immy to the evocative mandolin and dobro of Alex Valle, not to mention the guitar solos of the former Waterboys' guitarist, Maddock himself.

The sweet, soulful sound of Philadelphia has been experiencing a huge resurgence over the past decade and a lot of that has to with the efforts of veteran producer Butch Ingram who has consistently introduced new voices into the ever-expanding R&B community. A case in point would be the enormously talented lead vocalist Jimi Williams. Jimi literally has this music in his blood, being related to Billy Paul Williams, one of the main progenitors of the sound. With an elastic voice and remarkable range, Jimi is able to handle such a wide range of material effortlessly, as he does fronting the popular Philly band TRU. On his new solo EP Make Love Easy, Wiliams pays tribute to some of his favorite male artists from the golden age of Philly Soul including Billy Paul, Freddie Jackson, Donny Hathaway, and Charlie Wilson. To make the sound truly authentic, Jimi is backed by members of the Ingram Brothers Band, with the impeccable voices of Carla Benson, Sharon Ingram, Nikita Harmon and TRU's Billy Maynor and Dennis Sproul providing the background vocals - as they have done on so many Philly Soul hits over the years.

After making head-turning guest appearances on recently released albums from labelmates Benny Barksdale, Jr. And The Society Hill Orchestra, rising vocalist Ter-Ree has become one of the most in demand session vocalists on the rebirthed Philly Soul scene. For her latest single, Ter-Ree delivers a stunning rendition of the soul classic InchIt's Gonna Take A Miracle,Inch a timeless song that first appeared in 1965 as a hit for the great female group The Royalettes, and later rose to the #1 spot on the R&B charts via gospel singer Deniece Williams soulful rendition. Not to be outdone, Ter-Ree ups the ante with her compelling new version, breathing new life into a time-honored standard.