Reared on Motown backbeats, 70s groove
bands, and gospel wails, multi-talented artist Angela Johnson has a knack
for creating songs that infuse the classic elements of music’s yesteryear
into a dynamic and contemporary brew distinctly her own. Her
critically-acclaimed solo albums They Don’t Know (2002 Purpose) and Got To
Let It Go (2005 Purpose) introduced Angela as a soothing soul singer with
a stealth, gut-punching alto and a sensitive songwriter of deceptively
simple melodies that moved listeners from romantic sways to back-burning
sweats. Her most recent offering, A Woman’s Touch (2008 Purpose) is a
single-producer project that furthers Angela’s evolution as an erudite
production talent and continues a legacy of female musician/producers not
seen since the pioneering days of Patrice Rushen and AngelaWinbush.
Boasting the crème de la crème of soul and R&B, from Rahsaan Patterson and
Eric Roberson to Maysa and Julie Dexter, A Woman’s Touch is more than an
indie soul project, it is an industry event unseen since the timeless
producer albums of Quincy Jones and Norman Conners. When considered
alongside a body of work that includes two solo masterpieces and two
highly-hailed group projects as the lead singer of the soul-funk band,
Cooly’s Hot Box, Angela’s fifth studio release is a revealing testament to
the time and commitment Angela has spent honing her multi-faceted skills
to a spit-shined perfection.
With the release of his first solo CD,
saxophonist & Brooklyn native, Curtis Haywood recalls, "My first encounter
with music is a story my mom passed on to me. I was about 5-6 yrs of age
and I had received my first instrument –a trumpet. When it was bedtime I
absolutely refused to go to bed without it. Now being of West-Indian
descent, my parents were obviously not trying to have any ‘back mout' from
dis here little child! Finally, convinced that they had lost the battle
they allowed me to sleep with my trumpet."
Curtis has performed on the stage or on the same bill with the following:
Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes & The Intruders, The Temptations Review, Kirk
Franklin, Sounds of Blackness and The Noel Pointer Band in concert with
Dave Valentine.
Curtis’ work with his former jazz fusion group, Joshua has lead him to
perform at the New Artist showcase at Capital Jazz Festival in Washington
D.C., on the Christmas Holiday Tour with Grammy Award Winners “Take 6” at
the International African Arts Festival NYC and at B. Smith’s Rooftop
Café, for their CD release and several shows.
