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  1. Old Soul Meets Neo-Soul

    Comments: 0
    03.Apr.08, 13:00 EDT Blog edited on: 29.Mar.08, 23:23 EDT
    Everyone knows the importance of pitch to singing, but rarely do people
    talk about the need for rhythm. A skilled drummer can make a good
    singer great; as the song says, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got
    that swing.

    Which is why I’m excited about the news that Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson has coproduced Lay It Down,
    the upcoming album by Al Green. ?uestlove, drummer for Philadelphia
    hip-hop group the Roots, is a musical connoisseur who has worked with
    Common, Erykah Badu, Fiona Apple, Blackalicious, and a ton more,
    constantly proving – John Henry like – that man can outdrill machine. 
    Green, of course, is just one of the world’s greatest living singers,
    the man whose falsetto defines soul sensitivity.

    I’ve seen
    Green perform a couple times, and he can hit those high notes like
    swatting a fly. Of course, that also means it’s easy for him to phone
    it in. Perhaps ?uestlove can do for Green what Rick Rubin did for
    Johnny Cash: Find new depths in a legend. With guests John Legend,
    Corinne Bailey Rae, and Anthony Hamilton, it’s old school meets new
    school time.

    Admittedly, those neosoul singers can wax a little milquetoasty. But I’m trusting ?uestlove and coproducer keyboardist James Poyser
    – another musician with heavy-duty credentials (Badu, Lauryn Hill, Jill
    Scott)-- to make this more than just a nostalgia act with modern beats.
    Other players on Lay It Down include the Dap-King Horns (Sharon
    Jones, Amy Winehouse), guitarist Chalmers "Spanky" Alford (Mighty
    Clouds of Joy, Joss Stone), and bassist Adam Blackstone (Jill Scott, DJ
    Jazzy Jeff). Fuck sample clearances.

    Lay It Down will be
    released May 27 by Blue Note. For a hint of how incredibly
    groovalicious this collaboration sounds, check out the promotional video.


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