ANGELA'S IPOD

CHRISETTE MICHELE
I AM (2007)
4 Stars

Okay, okay, so most of you have, by now, heard and fallen in love with Chrisette Michele (2008 BET Award nominee). But I would be remiss if I did not mention that she is, indeed, in my iPod and played frequently. I enjoy all of her album. Chrisette Michele may be signed to the hip-hop label, Def Jam, but her music is an old-fashioned blend of R & B and Jazz. This is her debut album, which she also co-wrote, and she establishes herself as an artist, in her own right. While her singing style may call to mind the likes of Erykah Badu, Billie Holiday or Jill Scott, her well-polished voice is as bright and sunny as her apparent outlook on life. She is fresh and exciting and I hope she sticks around.

On “I Am“, Chrisette successfully incorporates R&B, hip-hop and jazz. Some songs, like the opening track, "Like a Dream," sound more like a jazz jam and other songs are "unabashed odes to a bygone era." For instance, on "Golden," she sings about yearning for a committed relationship: "I'm so ready to be like the olden days when commitment was golden."
A couple of songs on the album are hip hop-influenced: the up-beat "Be OK," and the feel-good party song "Let's Rock." With this song, she gives you a clue to her music mentors, she sings: “Wanna rock with the Chris on the microphone? I was studying Miss Billie, Miss Ella, Miss Sarah Vaughan>" There’s "Good Girl," a catchy, bass and percussion-driven jam. It proves that you can actually make a song about being a good person that's compelling.

Chrisette knows how to work a song and her voice. She resonates on “Let’s Rock”, sounds rich on the bossa nova inspired “Best Of Me” and soothes on the lullaby-like “Your Joy”, which is written about her father. Chrisette sings beautifully about how much this man means to her. Most impressive was that she chose to sing a song that was not about sex, money, drugs or having, needing, wanting or getting over a man. Not that she doesn’t sing about some of those themes. She does sing songs of love, fidelity and commitment. On ''Be OK,'' featuring Will.I Am, of The Black Eyed Peas, Chrisette sings ''Imma' take my Lexus to the mall, Get a little black dress just because,'' which is about starting over after losing an old lover.

Chrisette stands out because she is a talented singer, writes her own music, and plays the piano. She has a deep, seductive vocal range, rich, jazzy tones and her lyrics showcase the fresh, sunny optimism of youth. Although this is her debut album, this talented 25-year-old has the potential to be a real force in today's "modern jazz/neo-soul" genre. Her album has an old-school sound, style and sensibility, despite being only in her mid-20s. If you're a fan of old-fashioned R & B and jazz music with lots of positive emotions, then this is the album for you.

Check her out at: www.chrisettemichele.com