4 releases offer diverse sounds
by Michael Kraft, reporter

    Jersey Ave: Jersey Ave.
    Named for the street they grew up on in Indianapolis, Jersey Ave. is comprised of four brothers who compose and sing soul and R&B.

    Jacob, Jason, Nathan and Anthony Latimore make up this quartet and can sing and harmonize with the best of the rest.

    Reminiscent of Boyz II Men, the guys sing lyrics about love, loss and desire, sounding heartfelt and genuine.

    The music on this self-titled CD does not impress as it is just more standard samples with computer-written and arranged R&B tracks.

    The production is slick, and the lead-off single, Beautiful Girl is very catchy and easy to groove to.

    The group, who had a previous gospel album in 1994, says “gospel will never leave us.”

    They believe in respect to women and all people, and that attitude comes through in the lyrics.

    From slow, heartfelt R&B numbers such as I Wonder Why and Let’s Make Love to funky, breakbeat numbers such as Shorty, Jersey Ave. should have something for the fan of soul and R&B.

    JT Money, a rapper who fronted the Miami rap group Poison Clan for almost a decade, has branched out, and Blood Sweat and Years is his second solo album.

    Money is a good rapper who flows well, and his lyrics are about life on the street and the challenges faced by people that live there.
    The single Hi-Lo is meant to be a dancehall single with a very catchy hook.

    Other songs cross typical lines such as Sousa in Chocha in which Money raps in English and Spanish.

Money is very talented but may have forgotten his street and underground roots when he said, “I am just snapping, making a commercialized street record.”

    This is a good album and will probably sell, but it is a shame to see such a great underground artist going commercial.

Jesse Powell: JP

    Jesse Powell is a powerhouse of an R&B and soul singer and his new album, JP, showcases his talent to the utmost.

    His voice has a range of four octaves and can change timbre and “attitude” at will.

    One moment the listener hears a soft, sweet voice and the next a wailing soulful belt that will fill a room.

    JP is Powell’s third album—his first two going gold.

    On this effort, he is as strong as ever, and even a bit more comfortable letting himself go.

    This album is very much about love and all the things that go with that emotion.

    The first single, If I is a great ballad about losing that special someone while Invisible Man tells about the pain of being in love with someone who does not know you’re alive.

    Powell had a hand in the production of this well-produced and arranged release.

    He took total production control because he didn’t want the album “to sound like anyone else. I wanted it to sound like me.”

    Definitely, this is a good album from a great singer.

    Track 10: Track 10

    Track 10 is a foursome rock band that moved to Texas from Nebraska and has released its third album here.

    Back in Nebraska the group was huge in the local scene but decided to come to Dallas in 1999, where local Gary River joined Jeremiah Donnelly, Kyle Van Vleet and Josh Sweley to play bass.

    Their self-titled album is a mix of rock and blues and has a good workingman feel to it.

    Songs such as Devil Girl and Cry Me A River are about the group’s move to Texas.

    Their self-titled debut is a pretty good album although some elements are a bit weak: the guitars sound a bit thin at times and the production sounds gritty.

    But, hey, this Indie band has a good sound, and the guys work hard for what they want.

    They have some rough edges, but that can be an asset in this game.