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THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: Baltimore's Maysa "Metamorphosis' from usher to headliner at the Lyric Theater October 26th to promote new CD; and Jazz/Gospel/Neo-Soul singer Gina Green takes listeners on a "Journey' with first secular album
Baltimore’s Maysa ‘Metamorphosis’ from usher to headliner at the Lyric Theatre on October 26th to promote her new CD
*On Sunday, October 26th acclaimed Soul/Jazz singer Maysa returns to perform at the Lyric Theater in Baltimore, where she once worked as an usher. The former (and periodic) lead vocalist for Incognito has a new release she will be promoting, “Metamorphosis” on the Shanachie label was recently released.
“I’m changing as a person,” Maysa told me as to what the meaning of the album “Metamorphosis” means to her. “The last few years I have been getting closer and closer to God, relying on Him.”
Maysa said now that she is 40 she doesn’t let things bother her like she used to, as One of the cuts off of her CD is titled, “Simpatico,” one of my favorites, which has a sexy Jazz/Pop feel to it. Another favorite on the set is “Let’s work it out,” a song she wrote for founder and head man of Incognito, Bluey, and features guitarist Nick Colionne.
Other artists featured on the “Metamorphosis” album include Rex Rideout, Chris David and Angela Johnson as producer/writers, and flautist Najee on “My Destiny.”
Another one of my favorite songs on the new Maysa CD, “Grateful,” was written and recorded “freestyle.” She said Rex was playing around with some of the other musicians while waiting for Maysa who was late. She said when she got there she was in a dark place mentally and when she heard the music they were working on, this song came out and what an awesome selection it is.
“God truly set that up,” Maysa points out. “All day long I was talking to God, asking ‘Why everything (recognition) happens to the singers who are bad girls and I have been a good girl, why am I still struggling?’”
Maysa feels the answer was that song, that moment that ended up with “Grateful,” she was to just be grateful. Such a touching moment and believe me the whole album has a feel like this is one of her master-pieces.
“Happy Feelings,” “Love So True,” “Walk Away,” and “Conversation with the Universe,” where you can her Maysa scatting to a Jazz/African flavor background of music, are some more of my favorites on this album.
Gina Green new rising star with a sultry Jazz/Gospel/Neo-Soul influence presents to you her ‘Journey’
Gina Green, though she is too young and not into Stephanie Mills (more into Deniece Williams) singer/songwriter Gina Green has an unbelievable vocal resemblance to Stephanie Mills. Imagine Stephanie Mills singing Jazz and that is what you will hear on Green’s newest CD release, “Journey,” on GICO Music).
“This is my first secular album,” Gina Green stated when asked why she recorded an R&B/Jazz/NEO-Soul album when her previous albums have been Gospel. “Actually I wanted to do one because I sing at weddings (and other events) and I didn’t have any (secular) material.”
Gina says the other driving force to record a secular album was that she felt the music out now is all about promiscuity. “Young girls don’t know what love is or what it should be,” Green added.
Gina is a pastor’s daughter who was raised in a household where her father was a Christian and her mother was a Catholic. She was rooted in Gospel music and developed an eight octave voice that allowed her to sing Deniece Williams' “Silly” at a local talent show.
Green went on to record three Gospel albums “In His Times” in 1996; “Changes” in 2003, and “Tell ‘um” in 2006 with then husband producer Isom Green, Jr. (Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Whitney Houston), She won the Las Vegas Black Music Associations’ 2006 Best Gospel Female Performance Award and received a nomination from the Black Music Academy Association of America for Best Gospel Performance Female and Gospel Rising Star. Gina has performed with Tonex, J Moss and on TBN’s Bill and Rene Morris Show with Brent Jones and God’s Original Gangstas.
“I wanted to have my own uniqueness,” Gina says of her style and voice. “This (her vocal resemblance to Stephanie Mills) could be positive, this generation hasn’t heard her sound and after a while people will listen and hear Gina Green.”
True she does have her own modern Neo-Soul/Jazz/Gospel style of singing and delivery. I truly enjoyed watching her performance when I attended the Lee Bailey EURweb Media Awards where Gina sang at the pre-red carpet concert, great vocals and great performance.
Though the entire album is full of great material my favorite songs on the “Journey” album include the title track “Journey,” “You’re Like the Sun,” “I just want to dance with you,” “the heart-wrenching “Why,” “True Love,” which comes with a music video, and “On my way.”
You can see her music video and learn more on Gina Green at www.GinaGreen.net.
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