Sheldon Taylor's Souls of Black Notes

                                                                                             " All I hear is platinum that, platinum this/platinum whips, nobody got no platinum hits"                                                                                        ---Mase                                                                                           Hip hop's paradigm shift in '83 saw Rap's New Generation usher in new styles and sounds generating a need for a much greater platform of creative expression. Four years before the much heralded legendary Golden Era, 1984 emerged as the breakout year of the rap album.   In the days before Yo! MTV Raps and BET's Rap City, albums gave  fans a chance to make the visual connection with the artists behind their favorite songs. Whodini's  Escape was  part of a wave of releases giving hip hop exposure to a larger audience.  Fast forward to 2014. The original demographic that purcha

Smooth crooner Joe returns with his eleventh release Bridges , a collection of songs that effectively showcases his brand of sophisticated modern R&B. Picking up where 2009's Signature left off, Bridges features a variety of musical textures that range from his trademark contemporary offerings to live instrumentation that recaptures 60's 70's and  80's soul's greatest moments.  Vibrant album opener  Future Teller's catchy guitar riff is reminiscent of the Spinners' Philly Soul classic  I'll Be Around. In the vein of Signature's mid tempo stepper Sensitive Lover, the track flips the fortune teller concept in favor of in the pocket lover man come-ons ("You make me tell the truth/Can't have a single lie/What are my chances of taking you home tonight?"). The SOS Band's percussive No One's Gonna Love You  propels album first single Love Sex Pt. 2 featuring Kelly Rowland, demonstrating their natural chemistry and winning