| CD-DETAILS FEARLESS [SULLIVAN, JAZMINE] | ||||||
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Sullivan, JazmineFearless [Soul, Funk, R'n'B]RELEASE: 17.04.2009LABEL: J RecordsVERTRIEB: Sony MusicWEBSITE: jazminesullivanmusic.com
Jazmine wĂŒrde vermutlich locker, platt ausgedrĂŒckt, als Soul-Kopie von Duffy durchgehen können. Sie bedient sich geschickt an Sounds/Soulikonen ihrer Jugend oder was die Eltern hörten. Whatâs in a name? Well, if the name happens to include a reference to a musical genre, it could mean a whole lot. Jazmine Sullivanâs mother remembers having a sense that the child she was carrying twenty-one years ago was born to sing and as a lover of jazz, she named her daughter accordingly. While there are elements of jazz in her phrasing - sultry shades of great vocalists like Phyllis Hyman and Sarah Vaughan; replete with a delivery that has often been compared to the likes of Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige, the Philadelphia-born Jazmine is very much an artist for today as her exciting first J Recordsâ album, âFearlessâ, illustrates. Championed by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Missy Elliott, Faith Evans, and (fellow Philadelphians) Kindred among others, the statuesque and beautiful Jazmine is all at once smart, sassy, insightful, down to earth and very real. As the primary songwriter on âFearlessâ, Jazmine brings her own experiences and observations on life and love with vivid storytelling imagery to her songs. Producers include Salaam Remi, Dirty Harry, Jack Splash, Stargate and Missy Elliott who â with Lamb - produced the first infectious single, âNeed U Badâ. Says Jazmine, âI wasnât familiar with reggae but Missy said âLetâs try this out!â So I wrote to the track as soon as I heard it and then Missy brought in Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa to do the chant.â The resulting track became a newfound hit at radio and quickly established Jazmine as a fresh voice for the summer music scene and beyond. The unusual flamenco-flavored âBust Your Windowsâ, produced by Remi begs an obvious question: âDid I actually do that? Maybe⊠Maybe not!â Jazmine smiles. The soulful standout âIn Love With Another Manâ is delivered with heartfelt honesty: âItâs not something I went through personally, however, it is an honest song that I felt needed to be told. You often hear of the man being the heartbreaker in songs but their hearts get broken too.â The quirky, unusually-titled âLions, Tigers & Bearsâ (also produced by Remi who employed a full orchestra for the session) conjures up a world of images. It was inspired by Jazmineâs portrayal of Dorothy in âThe Wizâ during her childhood. âMy life has been all about music for such a long time that the thought of love was frightening. I knew the world of music but that other world of love was scary, new to me. Itâs really about being afraid of love.â Jazmineâs distinctive vocal style was nurtured by early years singing in church. At age 5, she was singing in the childrenâs choir, a few years later with the adults. Jazmineâs exposure to secular music was initially limited, âI was doing solos in church and someone wanted me to sign to a gospel label when I was eleven but I wasnât ready to do that,â she recalls. âThen when McDonaldâs had a competition for kids in major cities, I got a chance to perform âAccept What God Allowsâ on âShowtime at the Apolloâ and the audience responded really well.â Soon after, Jazmine decided that she wanted to sing secular music so her mother started schooling her in classic R&B. âShe played me Aretha, Stevie, Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman. This was during the age of hip-hop so I wasnât into it at first but I soon began to appreciate it.â But clear about her love for music and singing, Jazmine began looking for local places in Philadelphia to perform. One of her first stops was Black Lily, a musical collective started by The Jazzyfastnastees in the mid-to-late â90s when Philly was birthing a whole movement of new artists including Jill Scott, The Roots, Floetry and Kindred. âIt was booming,â recalls Jazmine. âI started singing with a live band, old school songs like Slyâs âThank You For Lettinâ Me Be Myselfâ and Marvinâs âWhatâs Going On.â It was through performances at Black Lily that Jazmine, along with Kindred, got a chance to perform with the legendary Stevie Wonder. âFatin and Aja were going to see Stevie and they invited me. He really took to me especially after he heard me sing his song, âThese Three Words.â He enjoyed the performance so much that he began to sing with me as we got into a jam session, taking turns riffing. It was so much fun and an experience that Iâll never forget!â That impromptu performance led to Jazmineâs appearance on Wonderâs annual âToys for Totsâ show in Los Angeles with Kirk Franklin, Jill Scott and others. Word of mouth of Jazmineâs amazing vocal talents quickly spread but it was a re-encounter with Missy Elliott, who took Jazmine into a Miami studio with partner Timbaland, which made various records labels pay attention. After hearing Jazmineâs âIn Love With Another Manâ (produced by Phillyâs Anthony Bell), Peter Edge at J Records reacted and subsequently, Jazmine spent a year preparing for what would be her first face-to-face meeting with Jâs Clive Davis. âI knew my record had to be different,â she says. âThatâs when I started developing my own writing style. I have a big imagination so that helped.â When Jazmine had gathered enough material, A&R executive Edge set up the crucial audition with Davis. âAfter I finished singing, he said, âWelcome to the family!ââ Taking time to write material for her all-important debut set, Jazmine explains her approach to songwriting: âItâs about empowering young women. Iâm 21 years old, just coming into womanhood and if you push me around, Iâm gonna push you right back! But writing is just one dimension of who I am. There are many different facets of me.â Those âfacetsâ are illustrated on a debut album which Jazmine describes as âhonest, with a particular point of view.â ââFearlessâ embodies my state of mind right now. Iâm 21, confident, fearless of being honest in my songwriting and musically not afraid to try different things.â Honing her craft and developing a distinctive writing style, sheâs come up with an album that is both soul-satisfying and accessible; a record thatâs sure to win her a solid following with music buyers who like their music uninhibited and always real. (Quelle: Sony Music, 2009) Track-Listing:
FORMAT: CD
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