We had a very busy week. Last Tuesday was our monthly special, Ear Candy with Leah Smith, Darien & special guest- Motown's Hal Linton.
New comers Darien and Leah are like a breath of fresh air to the soul scene. Darien warmed up the mic with his unique and soulful sound. Darien has performed all over NY at venues like S.O.B’s & Joes Pub- to name a few. He teased the audience by playing a few cuts from his LP If These Walls Could Talk, which is making waves locally and overseas, so be sure to look out for him.
When Leah Smith stepped on stage, I was surprised. How could such a powerful voice could come from such a tiny person? I suppose that's what you should expect from such a trained vocalist and pianist. Leah made a break with the contemporary christian group Israel & New Breed, and recently performed background vocals for Alicia Keys at the MTV Music Awards. Smith's debut LP Beautifully Made proves not to be your typical love forsaken, woman-scorned tale. Rather, she offers the alternative: knowledge of self.
To finish Ear Candy with a bang, Motown’s newest artist, Hal Linton stopped by. Linton gave us his renditions of Bob Marley’s classic, Redemption Song and Lifetime by Maxwell. He’s a great guitarist, with lots of style, and the vocals to back it up. Once this novice develops his sound, he will be unstoppable!
DARNELL LEVINE
On Thursday, I had the rare opportunity to check out artist Darnell Levine at Edens Lounge, and what a pleasant surprise this was. Think John Legend mixed with Bobby McFerrin. Backed by a full jazz band (which honestly, could stand on it's own minus a lead singer), Levine is making a name for himself, and fast. Darnell coined the catch phrase 'I AM MUSIC' to represent his current U.S tour. The soul star is obviously self made. He's got a live recording at the famous B.B Kings of NY and mix tapes galore, that don't even do him justice in person. The music speaks for itself, but just to prove how special this dude is..below is a video of him free-style singing Happy Birthday to an audience member. You be the judge and enjoy. Then, make your way over to his page and support good music! www.darnelllevine.com
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