to listen or purchase
Jamie Jones has reworked Illuminate and added five strong new cuts to release a more formal debut, Jamie Jones, on his own Genesis Entertainment label. For those who lamented All-4-One's fall from grace and those (like me) who wished the group had taken on meatier fare in its recorded work, Jamie Jones is a pleasant surprise. The disc leads off with its two finest cuts (neither of which was on Illuminate), "Don't Stop," a wonderful acoustic midtempo with Jones accompanied by William Cartwright and comedian/singer Wayne Brady, and "Rise," a big ballad backed by Jones' All-4-One mates. Both cuts are extremely radio-friendly and are representative of the lyrical message on the album: a message that focuses on two of the three Christian virtues: faith, and to an even greater measure, hope. This positive theme runs through a solid collection of cuts, including the mildly bluesy po
Jamie Jones has reworked Illuminate and added five strong new cuts to release a more formal debut, Jamie Jones, on his own Genesis Entertainment label. For those who lamented All-4-One's fall from grace and those (like me) who wished the group had taken on meatier fare in its recorded work, Jamie Jones is a pleasant surprise. The disc leads off with its two finest cuts (neither of which was on Illuminate), "Don't Stop," a wonderful acoustic midtempo with Jones accompanied by William Cartwright and comedian/singer Wayne Brady, and "Rise," a big ballad backed by Jones' All-4-One mates. Both cuts are extremely radio-friendly and are representative of the lyrical message on the album: a message that focuses on two of the three Christian virtues: faith, and to an even greater measure, hope. This positive theme runs through a solid collection of cuts, including the mildly bluesy pop of "Why Does It Take," "I'm So Glad" and "Higher Love," and the solid uptempo cuts "U Gonna Be Alright" (also included in a steppers remix) and "Get On Up." Jones' All-4-One fans will certainly like the album's sweeter cuts "So Grateful" and "Take My Hand" (which is a full All-4-One performance), but they should also be pleased with the diversity of the new disc, which touches credibly on Gospel, modern R&B and pop sounds.
At a generous 17 cuts, the album perhaps includes two or three more tracks than would be optimal, but that is a small criticism. Jamie Jones is both a welcome return and a fresh start for this talented singer. It also introduces a more soulful, mature sound for Jones and includes a few outstanding cuts that will spend a lot of time on my iPod. Recommended.
By Chris Rizik