There are very few singers on the contemporary scene
who have a unique, instantly identifiable vocal sound; there are even fewer who
have the stylistic range to encompass both Jazz and R&B in their
performances. Grammy-nominated Soul/Jazz diva Maysa, who celebrates her 20th
year as a solo recording artist this year, marks that achievement with her new
album
Back 2 Love, a tour-de-force that validates her status
as the greatest Soul-Jazz singer of her generation-the latest in a
distinguished line of singers that stretches back through Anita Baker, Chaka
Khan, Will Downing, Angela Bofill, Marlena Shaw and more recently, Ledisi and
Chrisette Michele.
Back 2 Love, which is set for a May 26th release, may
be her widest-ranging album yet, incorporating contemporary R&B, jazzy Soul
balladry, straight-up dance music, inspirational pop and more. With production
from the likes of J.R. Hutson (Jill Scott, Earth, Wind & Fire), Lorenzo
Johnson (Ledisi), Stokley Williams (Mint Condition, Kelly Price, Wale’), and
Chris “Big Dog” Davis (Kim Burrell, George Clinton), the album coheres around
Maysa’s peerless vocalizing highlighted by her amazingly rich, evocative vocal
tone. That’s the sound that led her mentor Stevie Wonder to proclaim “Maysa is
WONDERful!” In the wake of her first Grammy nomination and Soul Train Music
Award, it seems that the world-at-large is finally recognizing just how special
an artist Maysa is.
“Back 2 Love represents the fact that I’m ready to get
back to having a personal life with a very special man in my life. I have
worked hard on my career so I could take care of us (my son and I). My son is
almost 16 and I think he is old enough to have a mom who is going to be dating
and possibly married. I am ready to meet Prince Charming. The music is exactly
who I am. Being a Shanachie artist, I was always given the freedom to express
who I am musically but this time I feel like spiritually we all went to a pure
place to get this music. The music represents who I am as a woman and a human
being who lives to love people. As a professional singer I should be able to
sing anything and my records are just me trying to love everyone. And that’s
why I am proud to be able to go from Jazz to R&B to Pop, etc.”
Back 2 Love kicks off with a classic dance-pulse on
the title track. Though Maysa has recorded dance tracks before (mostly notably
with Incognito), those often had a Brazilian or more overt Jazz spin but Back 2 Love shows that Maysa has what it takes to be a dance diva if she wanted to.
The opener is followed by the distinctive R&B
groove of “Keep It Movin‘” produced by Mint Condition’s lead
vocalist/producer/songwriter Stokley, who also contributes a guest vocal on the
track. It is unlike anything Maysa has done previously and the chemistry
between her and Stokley is magical. “Stokley is an amazing artist,” Maysa says.
” I love his writing, his voice and performing style. I think our styles are
like smoke and fire together, like a sweet barbecue sauce! I was so happy he
joined me on this record.” Stokley adds, “Working with Maysa was so familiar
even though we’ve never collaborated before. We have a lot of the same
influences. Maysa has such a unique gift. Think if velvet, butter & brown
had a sound… weave a few high textures in there, that’s her! You feel her soul
when she delivers a song. I’m very honored to have worked with Maysa.”
The song “Heavenly Voices” is a masterpiece of jazzy
Soul, quintessential Maysa, a spiritually-oriented song. Likewise, such tracks
as “Last Chance For Love,” “Go Away Little Boy,” and “Smilin'” all have the
hallmarks of Maysa’s classic style-rich vocal sound, deeply felt, evocative
phrasing, lyrics relating to affairs of the heart, and a song structure that
embodies the essence of R&B but adds a Jazz sensibility. “Go Away Little
Boy” is inspired by Marlena Shaw’s classic hit of the same name. “Big Dog, my
producer, came to me with the title and the music and I thought it would be fun
to create our own vibes,” Maysa relates. “Marlena Shaw’s version is perfection
and one of the songs I listened to growing up. I would never try to cover it.”
On “Last Chance For Love,” a Seventies-style R&B ballad, Maysa is joined by
the incomparable Phil Perry, likewise a singer who is revered by other
musicians. “Finally working with Phil was amazing,” Maysa says. “He is the
falsetto king and my buddy! He is a master vocalist and I learn a lot from him
whenever I hear him sing. Years ago before we were Shanachie artists, we had
six-hour marathon phone conversations about the industry and here we are! He’s
a fun and wonderful person.”
Maysa Leak was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and
knew by the time she was six that she would be a musician. “I was six years old
when my mom took me to see Purlie,” she recalls. “When Melba Moore came on
stage and sang her heart out, I knew at that moment I wanted to make people
feel the way she made me feel.” Maysa graduated from Morgan State University
with a degree in classical performance, meeting Stevie Wonder while a student.
Upon graduating she moved to North Hollywood to join Wonder’s Wonderlove group,
with whom she performed for a year, appearing on the Jungle Fever soundtrack
and such television shows as Oprah and The Tonight Show. In the early Nineties,
Maysa auditioned over the phone to become the new lead singer of the acclaimed
British Jazz/Funk/R&B band Incognito, moving to London for four-and-a-half
years.
She has appeared on over nine Incognito recordings and continues to
appear as featured vocalist with them from time to time. Maysa recorded her
self-titled debut album for GRP in 1995, following it up with All My Life in
1999, Out Of The Blue in 2002 and Smooth Sailing in 2004. She then made an
impact with her interpretations of classic soul music on two acclaimed albums
for Shanachie Entertainment, Sweet Classic Of Soul (2005) and Feel The Fire (2007), on which she showed her ability to put her own unique stamp on familiar
songs from the 1970s era. Metamorphosis (2008) showed off Maysa’s prowess as a
composer and A Woman InLove (2010) found Maysa returning to her roots as a
jazz singer. Motions Of Love (2011) was highlighted by the ballad “Have Sweet
Dreams” co-written by Stevie Wonder (who plays harmonica on the track) and
inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as “Flower Girl,” a duet with
Dwele. Blue Velvet Soul (2013) yields Maysa’s first Grammy nomination, for her
performance of the song “Quiet Fire.” A Very Masysa Christmas (2014) delighted
fans as the songbird released her first ever holiday album. Now Back 2 Love brings together all the facets of Maysa’s artistry in one album. “I hope people
love this album,” Maysa says. “I want this to be the soundtrack to their summer
of 2015 and I pray it helps somebody feel good and forget problems and worries
and just feel love.
~ Shanachie