A beloved Philadelphia tradition 92 years in the making, the 6abc Thanksgiving Day Parade, now sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts, kicks off at 8:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 24, on 6abc. Rick Williams and Cecily Tynan of “Action News” will co-host the broadcast, with Karen Rogers and Adam Joseph reporting live along the parade route.

As always, the lineup of stars and performers will excite the crowds and dazzle the viewers watching from home. “Good Morning America’s” Sam Champion returns for his fourth Philly parade appearance. Carla Hall, co-host of ABC Daytime’s “The Chew” and Charlie McDermott, from ABC’s hit comedy “The Middle,” also join the star-studded lineup. For some real star power, there will be a special appearance by Hollywood’s hottest couple — Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy — whose newest big screen adventure, “The Muppets,” hits theaters Nov. 23.

A virtual feast for the eyes and ears, the 6abc Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade has something for everyone, with 16 balloons, 16 floats, 14 marching bands from across the nation, and fan favorites from stage and screen.

Musical guests include pop star Iyaz, presented by Wired 96.5, who will rock the parade route along with “American Idol” finalists Stefano Langone and Philly’s own Justin Guarini, now a perennial parade favorite. The Eagles cheerleaders will pump up the crowd, and magician Scott Alexander of “America’s Got Talent” will mystify the masses. Zack Montana, a contestant on Radio Disney’s “Next Big Thing,” will make his parade debut, as will CeCe Peniston, best known for her dance hit “Finally.” Young parade-goers will be treated to a special performance from their friends at Sesame Place.

And for kids of all ages, it wouldn’t be a celebration without a little Disney magic. From the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Phineas and Ferb, and the rest of the Disney family will excite the children (and baby boomers) on the parade route, along with Rapunzel and Princess Tiana from Disney on Ice Presents “Dare to Dream.” Viewers will be treated to a performance from the musical, “The King and I,” the vocal talent of tenor Nathan Pacheco, and the debut single from “The Farm,” presented by 92.5 WXTU. For the grand finale, the big stars of the show — Santa and Mrs. Claus — will officially usher in the holiday season.

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Despite countless gold and platinum records, as well as induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his longtime partner Kenny Gamble in 2008 as recipients of the inaugural Ahmet Ertegun Award, songwriter, producer and musician Leon Huff is still “Here to Create Music,” as the title of his 1980 solo album suggests. His recent connection with vocal group Ju-Taun, of Williamstown, N.J., has reignited that passion. 

Huff, who recently released another solo project titled “Groovy People,” is mentoring the group, which is comprised of siblings Jake and James “Jamie” Evans, who are half Puerto Rican, along with their close friend, Samaouen (pronounced “Simone”) Cheng, who is originally from Cambodia.

Ju-Taun (pronounced “Ja-Taan”) is signed to Climax Entertainment, a joint venture between Huff and David Still, and Huff has produced a trio of Christmas classics with the group, including “Please Come Home for Christmas,” “White Christmas” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

“It’s on I-Tunes. It’s great,” said Huff, who plays piano on the tracks. The music is also available on other online outlets such as Amazon.com.

During a recent visit to the Tribune offices along with their road manager Stan Golden, the talented singers explained their unusual name. “When we first started the group, we wanted something that was unique, because our group was so multi-national and so diverse,” said Jamie, the younger of the two Evans brother. “We wanted a name that reflected that, but also was different and didn’t identify with anything else. We felt that our sound and our style was different than anything else, so we just came up with something that sounded that way.” 

Huff first saw Ju-Taun at one of the weekly talents shows that were taking place at TSOP Experience, located next to Philadelphia International Records’ historic headquarters at 309 S. Broad Street.  “One of those weeks, I came and they were there. I liked the image, the sound — everything,” Huff said. “The sound is very commercial — they’ve got a great look. They’re right up there with today’s contemporary image. They’re great guys — clean cut, good stage presence, and I’m going to work with them.”

“We found out later that was actually his first time at the show,” Jake said. “He watched us live and he came backstage to talk to us. First thing he said was, ‘I got a song for y’all called ‘Walk Between the Raindrops,’ and we‘re like, ‘Cool!’ It was an honor for us to be singing in front of him because our father’s a musician, he played with Chubby Checker. He’s always been a huge Leon Huff fan, specifically for his playing style. We always grew up hearing their music. He used to make us learn a lot of TSOP songs… ‘You’ve got to pay tribute to the hometown!’ So it was just weird to be now performing in front of him, and then for him to actually respect what we do and want to work with us!”      

Some of the production on Huff’s “Groovy People,” took place at the Evans Brothers’ Tru Sounds Studio in Camden, N.J., and Ju-Taun is featured on renditions of “Hey There, Lonely Girl,” as well as the Temptations classic, “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” 

The group’s deep respect and appreciation for Philly’s musical legacy grew even stronger when they had the opportunity to meet and converse with engineer extraordinaire Joe Tarsia, who was at the sound board for the lion’s share of the hits on Gamble & Huff Philadelphia International label, as well as legendary drummer Earl Young, one of the final remaining links to the golden era of “The Sound of Philadelphia.”  

“Sometimes I wish that we were still in that era because there was such a different type of organic-ness to the music,” said Jamie. “When you’re bringing all those human elements together as opposed to just maybe one or two people sitting there at a computer or doing whatever they’re doing, when you have all that energy in one room, it just brings something different to the music.”   

With Huff’s guidance, the group plans to incorporate that energy into their own sound, fusing it with some of their own ideas. “I don’t want to say bring back the old, but kind of like keep it relevant, but also mix in some new,” said Jamie. “Give it a freshness,” Jake added. “But expose people more to what that type of music brought. The inspiration that it brought, and the positivity that it brought as opposed to a lot of the newer stuff. I think the biggest thing with us is that we want to do what we feel.”      

As the iconic Huff builds on his own musical legacy, he can barely contain his excitement over ushering in a new era of the Philly Sound and said in conclusion, “I want to wish everybody happy holidays, and be on the lookout for Climax Entertainment, because some great music is going to be coming through there!”

Contact Tribune entertainment reporter Kimberly Roberts at (215) 893-5753 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

She could have been a benevolent ruler, with the proverbial velvet glove covering her iron fist.

Or just as easily, she could have been a fairy princess, fluttering over troubled land, waving her magic wand, sprinkling effervescent dust, making everything perfect and right.

Yet while she does not fit either of these personas, Angelique Kidjo is indeed a super power, an amazing ethereal presence, who wields her influence through her voice, her body — singing and dancing about peace, freedom, unconditional love and liberation for the oppressed. And oh yes, the Grammy Award winning, West Africa native flavors everything she does with an extra measure of pure, unadulterated soul.

The impact of Kidjo’s intense performance was heightened by the intimate setting at Montgomery County Community College’s Science Center Theatre, where she appeared on March 23. Truly an international entertainer, who puts a unique spin on the moniker “world music,” Kidjo sang in multiple languages, ranging from Fon, to Swahili, from English, to French and Hindi. Her set included a wide range of favorites she has been identified with including the hits “Agolo,” “Afirika,” and “Malaika.”

She opened up with “Atcha Houn,” a traditional melody from her native Benin, West Africa. This was the first song she ever sang in public, at the age of six, with her mother’s theater company.

“That’s when I got addicted to this microphone,” she said, laughing with the audience. “That’s a good addiction to have, right?” Kidjo thrilled the audience with arrangements of James Brown’s “Cold Sweat,” and Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up.” All night long, she kept the energy high, dancing, shaking and twirling all over the stage as she sang in her big, deep voice. Right up front, she established “The rules of my show, which are to sing when you feel like it and dance when you want to.”

Kidjo’s song and dance adventure featured an impeccable band of musicians, including guitarist Dominic James, who hails from New York City, bassist Itaiguara Brandao from Brazil, percussionist Magatte Sow, a New York born Senegalese, who currently resides in Los Angeles and trap drummer Daniel Freedman, from Brooklyn.

A petite woman with a bronze complexion that contrasts with her bleached blonde razor sharp short Afro, Kidjo wore a red, gold, and blue African print ankle length dress, low-heeled ankle boots, a fancy beaded necklace, dangling earrings and thin bracelets lined up both arms, gracefully approaching her elbows. Her elegant outfit allowed her ease of movement. Truly an iconic entertainer, Kidjo has appeared on the world’s finest stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House. She has collaborated with Bono, Dianne Reeves, Carlos Santana, Josh Groban, Peter Gabriel, John Legend and countless others. She has performed before heads of states as well as the Nobel Prize ceremonies.

Kidjo sought exile in Paris, when her homeland was overtaken by a Marxist dictator. There she developed her performing and recording expertise and was befriended by her personal idol and mentor, Miriam Makeba. She has been named an international UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is the founder of her own organization, the Batonga Foundation which provides African girls with an education.

Slowing down for a momentary pause to speak with the audience, she said: “This next song, ‘Petite Fleur,” is dedicated to my father and all those musicians that mold the person I am today. My father passed away in 2008. He raised ten children, - seven boys and three girls. He sent all of us to school. He always said, ‘Education is the best thing any parent can offer to their children.’” She further explained that when her father received offers to marry off his daughters in exchange for money and material possessions, he refused, saying: “They are not merchandise. They are my children.”

Kidjo Also Dedicated “Petite Fleur” to the girls in Africa who are still being subjected to female genital mutilation. Voicing her opposition to the practice, Kidjo said, “I want them to develop without pain.” The emotional ballad started out with a duet with her bassist and as the song progressed, the rest of her band joined in.

Before the night was over, she also highlighted her percussionist, who worked wonders on the djembe drum and her guitarist, who played both electric and acoustic guitar. Ntshadi Mofokeng, a South African native who is a student at Bryn Mawr College exclaimed: “Oh my God, it’s a great time! She always gets you going. ‘Move On Up’ was my favorite. I first saw her sing that with John Legend at the World Cup in Johannesburg in 2010.” Mofokeng’s classmate, Sascha Patel, who hails from India, noted that, “The song ‘Ann’ was the most beautiful rendition of a Hindi song I have ever heard. It was really, really beautiful. I loved how the whole audience came to life.”

As typical during a Kidjo performance, she invited the audience to join her on the stage to sing and dance with her. “Each night wherever I go I try to empower people with my voice. We’re very powerful individually and collectively.” Hosted by Cultural Affairs Director Helen Haynes, Kidjo’s appearance was underwritten by the PEW Center for Arts and Heritage Music Project, as part of Montgomery County Community College’s “Africa: The Call and Response Series.” An Afro-Pop After Party, featuring DJ Rich

Medina, and dancers from the Kulu Mele Ensemble followed Kidjo’s performance.

NEW YORK — Sade Adu may have appeared confident when she hit the stage on her massive U.S. tour last year in her all-black ensemble, svelte look, high heels and red lips.

But the 53-year-old singer was nervous. So nervous, she gave someone backstage a tattoo.

“It was giving me something to divert me from the chaos of getting ready psychologically to go out there,” Adu said in a recent interview. “I think I was more stressed about giving that tattoo than I was (doing) the show that night.”

But Adu had reason to feel anxious: As the leader of the veteran group Sade, she and her band mates were riding high off their platinum-selling 2010 album, “Soldier of Love,” their first release in 10 years. Sade won a Grammy a year later, and embarked on a 54-date U.S. tour.

The moment Adu gave that tattoo — and many other moments — are captured in the new DVD, “Bring Me Home — Live 2011,” released last week.

Adu talks about the tour, maintaining her youthful look and when the group plans to release new music.

AP: You were really that stressed backstage?

Adu: I was so stressed. ... That impression that you give onstage is what people go away with ... and remember you, and I feel in a way that’s what that tattoo was. I was going to mark him for life. I had to get it right.

AP: Have you done more tattoos?

Adu: That was my big tattoo moment.

AP: How have you maintained your voice over the years?

Adu: I’ve never been great with keeping up with vocal exercises. For 28 years I’ve been saying, ‘Tomorrow I must do some scales.’ But I haven’t done them yet. I think just being onstage and performing, you learn technique just by being there and having to deliver. You unconsciously learn technique just to survive those two hours.

AP: What was it like performing for your feverish fans after being away for so long?

Adu: That’s why you sort of feel like you’re a gladiator going out there because even though you know most of these people have come from a good place and they love your music and they come with a feeling of love, which is what you walk away with, it’s a bit like being thrown at the lions when you go out there because you have this sort of fear, even though it’s irrational, (that) you’re going to get torn apart, so you go out and you have to be good.

AP: You’re 53, but you look 30. What are you doing to maintain your youthful look?

Adu: I do move a lot. I’m always doing stuff. I don’t lounge around much. ... I’m always moving and I’m always active. ... I’ve tried things and I’ve tried exercise because I know it’s good and I’ve tried to do yoga, but my life just doesn’t seem to allow it.

AP: “Soldier of Love” went gold in its first week out. When you’re creating music, do you think about album sales?

Adu: I don’t think, ‘Are we going to be a success?’ Not consciously anyway, you know. But in my subconscious I’m probably, there’s probably that feeling of, ‘What if it doesn’t work out?’ But I don’t sort of actually have abstract thoughts like that. I actually don’t stop and think, ‘Yeah, this is going to be a great success.’ By the time it happens, it’s almost too late.

AP: In the 10-year break between “Lovers Rock” and “Soldier of Love,” did you run into fans who asked about new music?

Adu: Always in the queue at the petrol station. The gas station. I’m always being asked it, and I’ll always say ‘it’s tomorrow’ and they all think I’m a liar because I always imagine it’s going to be much sooner than it is. But then my life just gets in the way. I’m always asked that question. Like I said, I’m Nigerian. I’m always late.

AP: When will the band release another album?

Adu: I’d like it to be sooner and I always think that. It’s not like I go off of music or I go off the feel of it, but there’s a lot to it. I can’t work unless I go and I have to find the right moment to cut off. I’m not someone who can just sit in the middle of chaos of my life and write songs. I have to go away somewhere and cut off ... I would love to make an album soon, but it just doesn’t happen that way.

AP: A lot of young singers are inspired by you. Who are you currently listening to?

Adu: Somebody I recently discovered in the last couple years is Ray LaMontagne, and I love his vocals. I think he’s really, really talented and exceptional. He’s doing his thing. He’s sort of not associated with the times. It’s just his own thing. I (also) listen a lot to hip-hop because I like hip-hop lyrics; to me it’s poetry.

AP: Why do you think so many fans resonate with Sade’s sound?

Adu: The key is probably the songs — they come from the heart, and when we’re making an album, we put our whole heart in and everything we’ve got. And it isn’t about making a hit album; it’s not about second-guessing and predicting what people want to hear or what they want to buy. There’s sort of integrity in that. We just get lost in the music. — (AP)

Filmmaker George Lucas, mastermind behind the “Stars Wars” franchise, is self-financing a film inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen, the first organized group of African-American fighter pilots in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The airmen, whose story will be featured in “Red Tails,” fought in World War II. Written by John Ridley and “The Boondocks” creator Aaron McGruder, and directed by Anthony Hemingway, the film stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Ne-Yo, David Oyelowo and Nate Parker.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lucas put $58 million of his own money into the movie and is spending $35 million more for its distribution. It will be released by Lucas’ production firm Lucasfilm Ltd. on January 20, with News Corp.’s Twentieth Century Fox distributing it.

A representative for the filmmaker stated that Lucas has worked on the project for 23 years. “They are really the knights of the contemporary age,” Lucas said in a statement.  

The legend of the Tuskegee Airmen, which counts among its valiant membership Lawrence Roberts, father of “Good Morning, America” news anchor Robin Roberts, was previously chronicled in the 1995 HBO TV movie, “The Tuskegee Airmen,” starring Laurence Fishburne. This earlier interpretation by Robert Markowitz also featured Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr.

On March 29, 2007, approximately 300 Tuskegee Airmen (or their widows) received the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. The medal is currently on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

The Hollywood Reporter contributed to this report.

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Syndicated radio host Michael Baisden recently announced his plans to give away a half million dollars to small businesses and non-profits via a “Million Dollar Business Pitch” campaign.

“It’s time for those of us who have done well because of the people to give back to the people,” Baisden says. “While we relax in our comfortable homes driving our expensive cars, families are being destroyed. I understand that I can’t save the world, but I can reach back and help as many people as I can, and hopefully inspire others to do the same! It’s time to pay it forward it a big way!”

On a recent broadcast of “The Michael Baisden Show,” Baisden announced that he would use $5,000 of his personal resources to start a college fund for a young author whose children’s book is now available in stores and online.

From author to radio personality, to filmmaker and now social and political activist, Baisden is “committed to advancing the global community to a better place.” His contribution for the campaign is not from corporate sponsors, but is coming directly from his wallet. “You see, that’s our problem. If we can’t make a profit off helping people, we don’t do it,” he says. “While I welcome corporations and others to support us, I can’t wait for their budget cycles to make a decision.”

Over the past eight years, Baisden, author of the novels, “Men Cry in the Dark,” “The Maintenance Man” and “God’s Gift to Women,” has advocated for civil rights issues, campaigned for voter registration, supported free health clinics and promoted mentoring with a 70-city bus tour. Most recently, he took his microphone to Occupy Wall Street in New York, engaging his listeners up close and personal with protesters from the site.

“As President Obama said, we can’t wait 14 months,” Baisden observed. “Some of my listeners won’t survive another 14 weeks. We have got to do something now!”

For information on how you can win a share of his Million Dollar Business Pitch, follow “The Michael Baisden Show” on Facebook (on Baisdenlive) and Twitter (@BaisdenLive). Details on how to submit your business will be announced live on “The Michael Baisden Show, airing locally on WDAS (105.3 FM) on November 28 between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Contact entertainment reporter Kimberly C. Roberts at (215) 893-5753 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

In the aftermath of the tragic execution of Troy Davis comes “Joy Road,” a gripping independent film focusing on the inequities of the criminal justice system in America. Written and directed by Harry Davis, “Joy Road” opens in Philadelphia on Friday, October 21, showing exclusively at the Riverview Plaza Stadium 17, located at 1400 S. Columbus Boulevard.

Wood Harris, star of the critically-acclaimed TV drama, “The Wire,” plays Tony Smalls, a defense attorney who has escaped the ghetto to become part of Detroit’s emerging middle class. However, when his sister, Nia’s (Ne’Bushe Wright), thug boyfriend, Big Boy (Christian “Trick-Trick”) Mathis, is arrested for triple murder, Tony is drawn back into the world that he fought so hard to leave behind.

In the middle of the night, Tony and his wife get a rude awakening when the police break into his home — rifles drawn, put the two of them in handcuffs and demand to know if there are any drugs in the house. While his stunned wife protests loudly, Tony does not answer, causing the cops to ransack their bedroom in search of the dope. Finding none, the officer in charge of the raid orders his minions to remove the cuffs, literally throws a search warrant at Tony. “Here’s your warrant,” he sneers, and stomps out of the house, leaving Tony enraged and his wife confused.

Pressured into taking Big Boy’s case, Tony returns to the streets and finds that nothing has changed, especially Flip (Jamie Hector) his old neighborhood nemesis, raising the question of what happens when young urban professionals abandon the neighborhoods of their birth. In the course of his investigation, Tony uncovers a conspiracy that could cost him his life. “‘Joy Road’s’ theme of the price that must be paid when a family is divided — is universal,” Wood Harris stated.

“‘Joy Road’ is one of the most important films of these times with many layered messages vital to the future of African Americans,” said director Harris Davis.

Executive produced by former NBA stars Charles Oakley and Antoine Walker, “Joy Road” also features esteemed veterans Roger Guenveur Smith and Obba Babatunde. (Rated “R”) 

Contact entertainment reporter Kimberly C. Roberts at (215) 893-5753 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Tickets are now on sale for Powerhouse 2011, presented by Power 99 FM radio. This annual celebration of the station’s “birthday” takes place at 6 p.m., Friday, October 28 at the Wells Fargo Center, Broad Street & Pattison Avenue. The star-studded artist line-up includes Chris Brown, Rick Ross, T-Pain, Young Jeezy, DJ Khaled, Tyga, Meek Mill, Wiz Khalifa, OCD, Moosh and Twist.

As Power 99 gears up for the celebration, the station is searching for a loyal listener to be in the press pit and backstage taking pictures for its Facebook fan page. The lucky Powerhouse photographer, to be chosen on Monday, October 10, will receive two tickets to the show, a new digital camera, press pit passes and backstage passes. To enter, visit www.power99fm.com.

Tickets to Powerhouse 2011 are on sale at www.comcasttix.com and the Wells Fargo box office. You can also buy tickets at www.power99.com — keyword “powerhouse.”

Following the success of the gospel play production “She’s Not Our Sister,” GMC presents “She’s Still Not Our Sister,” the four-episode sequel, premiering with back-to-back episodes at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, and concluding in the same time slot with episodes three and four on Saturday, Dec. 17.

“She’s Still Not Our Sister” features an ensemble cast including Kellita Smith (“The Bernie Mac Show”), Drew Sidora (“The Game”), Azur De (“Somebody Help Me 2”), Christian Keyes (“Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman”), Clifton Powell (“Ray”), Jazsmin Lewis (“Meet the Browns”), Jeckee Harry (“Sister, Sister”), Tony Grant and the award-winning gospel group Trin-i-tee 57. 

In the engaging sequel written by Johnnie C. Johnson Jr. and directed by Roger Melvin, drama continues to surround the Walker Sisters as they learn that the millions they received after their father’s death cannot buy happiness. Instead, the four women discover that they have inherited an entirely new set of challenges, including “career setbacks, romantic disappointments, charming gold-diggers and self-destructive tendencies.”

The set, the dialogue and even the atmosphere of “She’s Still Not Our Sister” are very similar to the actual “gospel play” theatrical experience that has become so familiar to urban audiences. Episode One, titled “Daddy Issues,” begins as Reverend Beckley (Clifton Powell) visits the home of the Walker Sisters, who have reconciled with their half-sister Allison (Jazsmin Lewis) following the death of their estranged father, and it appears that the lives of Vivian (Kellita Smith), Cynthia (Drew Sidora) and Deniece (Azur De) have become even more complicated. Fortunately, their surrogate mother, the over-dressed, over-the-top Aunt Connie (Jackée Harry) is there to lend help and advice — whether they want it or not.

Now that Cynthia and D’Andre (Christian Keyes) are officially engaged, their relationship is “on-off-then on again,” as Cynthia is still learning what it means to trust a man. Allison has spent a lot of her money paying off tons of credit card debt, but it is becoming evident that she may have a serious gambling problem — something that she lightheartedly refers to as her “relaxation,” despite having dropped $15,000 in a casino in a single night. Meanwhile, Elliot Ross (Tony Grant) is introduced as Allison’s potential love interest. Episode Two, titled “Graduation and Disappointment” immediately follows at 8 p.m.    

“As our first gospel play series, ‘She’s Still Not Our Sister’ marks an exciting milestone for GMC,” said Leslie Chesloff, executive vice president of programming, GMC. “‘She’s Not Our Sister,’ which premiered in June, was wildly popular with viewers. We are thrilled to present a four-part series that allows our audience to continue the journey with these compelling characters as they encounter new romances, unexpected challenges and startling revelations.” Episodes Three (“Vivian Goes to Paris”) and Four (“On with Our Lives”) of “She’s Still Not Our Sister” air back-to-back beginning at 7 p.m., Saturday, December 17 on GMC.

Contact Tribune entertainment reporter Kimberly C. Roberts at (215) 893-5753 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Formerly the voice of the jazz ensemble Incognito, talented singer/songwriter Maysa’s soothing vocals have been seducing listeners for years, and she explores new territory with her latest release, “Motions of Love.”

Now available in stores, the engaging 14-track disc is largely produced by Chris “Big Dog” Davis, who has also been at the helm of projects by Will Downing and Kim Waters. “This was intended to be an all R&B record with no jazz at all because I’ve never done a whole R&B album before,” said Maysa, who is possibly best known for the Incognito classic, “Deep Waters,” and wrote most of the material included in her new collection.

There are two impressive special guests joining her on this project, including popular neo-soul artist Dwele, who is featured on the hypnotic “Flower Girl,” and I must say that I wish that he’d made a more significant contribution to the track. “Have Sweet Dreams” is a soulful lullaby written by Stevie Wonder and features the music icon on harmonica.

Although she is in fine voice throughout the project, Maysa gives a particularly powerful performance on the poignant “When It’s Over,” a song that she wrote on a plane after a painful breakup. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the inspiring “Hold On,” by Rowan Chapman, which could pave the way for Maysa’s entrée into the thriving gospel market.

Overall, I share the perspective of the artist, who said, “This album has more popular appeal than my other stuff. I love my cult following. I have no complaints about that because that’s more meaningful to me than anything. I don’t want to walk into a store and have to have bodyguards and all that crap. I don’t want that. If people come up to me in the supermarket and give me a hug, I love that. I don’t think I’m doing anything different than Jill Scott or Ledisi. It’s all the same vibe.”

Given the sad state of the recording and radio industries, it’s hard to predict what will happen with a noble project such as this, but if you’re a Maysa fan, or a fan of good music in general, “Motions of Love” is definitely one to add to your collection.      

Prime Cuts:

“Day N Night”

“Flower Girl” (featuring Dwele)

“Have Sweet Dreams”

“When It’s Over”

“Hold On”

Contact Tribune entertainment reporter Kimberly C. Roberts at (215) 893-5753 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .