All in all, I’d say it’s been a pretty decent year for soul music. Albums by Raphael Saadiq, Kindred and Maysa all featured in my personal Top 5 of the year – along with “Moon Ride,” the Stax/Concord CD by singer-songwriter-producer Leon Ware and the Peak Records debut set by Leigh Jones, “Music In My Soul.”

I’ve been enjoying the work of Leon Ware for quite a few decades: his songwriting and production for Marvin Gaye’s classic “I Want You” in 1976 served as my formal introduction to the Detroit native even though I’d actually been listening to songs he’d written for the likes of The Isley Brothers, Quincy Jones and The Parliaments (“I Wanna Testify”) before that. Truth is, Leon’s written more than a few timeless tunes, “If I Ever Lose This Heaven,” “Inside My Love” (for Minnie Riperton), “I Wanna Be Where You Are” among others. His own catalog of recordings stretches back to the early ‘70s but it was his Motown debut “Musical Massage” that hipped me to his skills as an artist in his own right. In more recent years, I’ve had the chance to see Leon perform – a few times in Los Angeles and then most memorably in London at The Jazz Café where the assembled throng sang along with his every song! It was an amazing experience and a reminder of the deep reverence and appreciation us British soul fans feel for the artists we embrace.

I was happy to learn that Leon was recording his first major label album in years and I was not disappointed with the result. “Moon Ride” is among my favorite records of the year because it has a real musical flow, there’s a consistent theme (Leon’s time-honored appreciation for all things sensual) and there are some real great tracks! “Smoovin’” emerged as one of the most hypnotic cuts of the year for me and I loved the feel of “Loceans.” What I most appreciated about Leon’s album was that it was a great single piece of work. Too often these days, the use of multiple producers leads to a singular lack of continuity: “Moon Ride” is the polar opposite, moving and grooving with ease, one track into the next. As we Brits like to say, nice one.

I’d never heard of Leigh Jones until an advance CD arrived on my desk a few months before the release of her first album. I’m used to hype (after a few decades as a music journalist) so I seldom rush to listen to anything when I get it – especially if it’s a new artist. I waited a little while until I decided to check out “Music In My Soul” and my reaction was instantaneous. I immediately e-mailed J’ai, the publicist who’d sent me the CD and let her know I loved what I was hearing.

It didn’t hurt that Leigh chose to record one particular song that I resonated strongly with. “Cold In L.A.,” produced by Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. spoke straight to me. After two decades plus in Los Angeles, I left in April to live in Philadelphia. L.A., as Gladys Knight & The Pips and Cissy Houston, proved too much for the man and although I wasn’t headed out on a midnight train to Georgia, I knew it was time to leave. Leigh’s song summed it all up – the pretense, the phoniness, the loneliness and isolation that I felt was driving me back to the East Coast. Leigh had already scored points with me just by virtue of that one song: others like “Free Fall,” “Sick Of Fools” and her cover of the DeBarge classic, “All This Love” added to my appreciation.

When Leigh was performing at a showcase in New York, I jumped on the bus from Philly, got to the venue just in time and discovered that her brand of soul and pop tinged with jazz and blues was as potent in person (with just a guitar accompaniment) as on the record. Speaking with her the next day in Philly, I discovered that “Music In My Soul” had taken a few years to come to fruition but clearly it was worth the wait. Hands down, the album emerged as my favorite new artist debut for 2008: if you haven’t yet done so, check it out.

Well, this is my last blog for 2008 and as the Stax blog itself down, I want to thank everyone who’s read the several dozen pieces I’ve penned for it. It’s been a pleasure to walk back down memory lane, to spotlight new albums and to be a part of keeping the Stax name alive decades after the music entered my life. I’d like to think that between me and my fellow blogger Chris Slawecki (who’s contributed some truly brilliant pieces to the blog), we’ve made this an enjoyable experience and thanks to Concord’s David Henson for inviting me to participate.

Have a happy and highly soulful 2008!

David Nathan
A/k/a the British Ambassador Of Soul
Founder, www.soulmusic.com,
www.soulmusicstore.com