Cool Hunting

John Legend: Get Lifted by Ari Bendersky

Legend_cover_ari.jpgJohn Legend.

As cliché as it may sound, a true legend was born with the release of Legend’s debut, “Get Lifted.” His sultry lyrics and somewhat gruff vocals combined with jazz piano, hip-hop beats, Latin-flavored horns and real-life stories make for some serious lip-smackin’ R&B.

It doesn’t hurt that West produced the album and co-wrote a number of tracks. Or that Legend worked with Lauryn Hill on her multi-platinum “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Or that he’s a damn good-looking man with solid roots.

None of that really matters when you get down to the music. And then it’s all about John Legend.

Tools
Print
Email
Save / Bookmark
fShare Share
Permanent link
Sphere It
This entry posted on 27 January 2005 at 4:19 PM
Related Entries
Tita Lima: 11:11
Lilting rhythm guitar, trumpet solos and swirling synth bubbles on "A Conta Do Samba," the opening cut on Tita Lima's debut solo album, 11:11, sets the mood for a journey to Tropicalia. Firmly grounded in and paying homage to the classic sounds of 70's Brazilian vocal soul, jazz, samba, and bossa nova, 11:11 is more rootsy than Bebel Gilberto electro-bossa. The album's 11 tracks—...
A Rural Life
A Rural Life, the 8th LP from Marie and Andy Compton (a.k.a. The Rurals), celebrates their 10th year of making luscious, jazzy, thumping music. I usually leave the music reporting to Ari because he's much more articulate about these things, but I've been listening to the new album all week and am quite pleased. It's perfect music for cocktail hour-- upbeat, soulful and sexy...
A New World Vision: Aram Danesh and the Super Human Crew
Aram Danesh and the Super Human Crew, sounds like a ridiculous amalgam of a Middle Eastern hip-hop collective, right? Wrong. More like a throwback to old school rap, the Crew represents all that is great about the Bay Area's music scene. Danesh, who lives in beautiful Tiburon, across the Bay from San Francisco, brings together disparate sounds, including pepper-infused salsa set to funky urban...
Soel: Memento
Bringing together elements of his African roots, Parisian upbringing and American musical influences, trumpeter Pascal Ohse, a.k.a. Soel, created a brilliant collection of music bridging jazz, ‘70s funky soul and R&B and ambient electronic music. Imagine the JB Horns smashed up with Miles Davis, Barry White and Brian Eno. The recently released “Memento” was produced by longtime collaborator Ludovic Navarre, otherwise known as groundbreaking...
Recent Cool Hunting Videosview all Cool Hunting Videos
Advertisement
Advertisement
Recent Entries

The Pharos Project


Hank and Matlok


Neon Shoes


Radio Village Nomade


Ghostly Swim: Interview with Sam Valenti


Creative Index


Interview with Maarten Baas


A Paper Tiger


Von Totebags and T-Shirts