Lost & Found (CD - 2007)

Personnel: Ledisi (vocals); Alvin S. White, Darrell Crooks, Rick Watford, Errol Cooney (guitar); Karen Briggs (violin); Lee Thornburg (trumpet, horns); Nicholas Lane (trombone, horns); Sundra "Sun" Manning (Clavinet, organ, keyboards); Kenneth Knight (organ, keyboards); Luther "Mano" Hanes (keyboards, keyboard bass, drum programming); Dwayne Smith, Melvin Davis, Nelson Braxton (bass guitar); Tommy Bradford, Tommie Braxton, La Dell Abrams, Felix Pollard, John Roberts, Lil' John Roberts, Michael White , Michael White (drums); Javier Solís (percussion); Lorenzo Johnson, Jamey Jaz (drum programming); Rahsaan Patterson (vocals, horns); Brandon Fields (saxophone, horns); Rex Rideout (keyboards, programming).

Recording information: Backroom Studios, Oakland, CA; Coda Studios, Oakland, CA; Encore Studios, Burbank, CA; First Avenue Studios, Franklin, TN; First Tribe Media Studios, Long Beach, CA; Glenwood Place Studios, Burbank, CA; Shelter Island, NY; The Bennett House, Franklin, TN.

Photographer: Vincent Soyez.

New Orleans-born, California-bred singer Ledisi released a couple of indie albums leading up to her big-label debut with LOST & FOUND, and the latter is where the world at large meets a talent both highly individual and slyly syncretic. While Ledisi is ostensibly a modern R&B singer, whose tunes bear touches of hip-hop in their production, her background in everything from showtunes to symphony halls peeks through. The jazzy inflections, show-stopping delivery, and old-school soul that catch you by surprise are part and parcel of what makes LOST & FOUND stand out among the contemporary R&B pack.

In this new millennium music era, R&B stars are a dime a dozen, where thousands of great singers struggle for a piece of the fame pie. Ledisi, a New Orleans soul singer who has long struggled for fame, proves on her album Lost & Found that she deserves more than just a sliver. Lost & Found is a rare gem from 2007, a complex vocal masterpiece that shimmers and tantalizes with smooth beats, impressive songs, great mixes, and one incredible vocalist; Ledisi shreds this 18-track set and wrecks every single note with her jaw-dropping vocals. Tracks like "In the Morning," shattering ballads of love and so much more, glisten like chocolate-covered strawberries with every listen. The soulful dazzle that makes stars out of singers is heard in every beat, every note, and every word. The album, even at 18 tracks long, never loses its focus; it doesn't rely on the hook of one song to convince the shopper to buy it. It doesn't play up to the R&B hype of its era with computers and guest rappers to entertain the minds of the listeners. It brings listeners back to a time when all you had to do was sing well to garner attention and praise similar to the new queen of neo-soul, Amy Winehouse. Yet Ledisi doesn't simply rely on her vocals; along with the help of Colin Stanbeck, Ledisi, who co-produced Lost & Found as well as being a songwriter of nearly the entire album, doesn't promote a hollow disc like many of the wannabes of this decade. Packed with warming cheers and moving motifs, the album traps listeners with everything that a record possibly could. It's perfect for all sentiments and feelings; for those who feel excited, blue, or even in the mood, Lost & Found appeals to all who are fortunate to get their hands on a copy of it. It's an instant classic that should propel Ledisi to instant stardom, and is without question the only album that could rival Amy Winehouse's Back to Black in the past several years on quality, style, and sheer vocal capability, of which Ledisi has so much to spare. This is the new standard of R&B/soul; let's see who can match up to it now. ~ Matthew Chisling minimize