Back in the mid 1980s, I loved listening to Anita Baker sing. I first became familiar with her when I was 13 years old and her hit song "Sweet Love" was popular. She was sort of the anti-Whitney Houston with her smokey alto and jazz stylings...
She followed up with the sensual "Caught Up In the Rapture", which was another song I loved.
But I liked this song, a deeper cut, even more...
When I was in college in 1990, Anita released Compositions, which was a strong set of modern "quiet storm" jazz influenced songs.
I bought her 1994 album "Rhythm of Love", which again, seemed more like R&B than the jazzy stuff she used to do.
Probably my favorite of all of Anita's albums, however, is her debut, The Songstress. It was released in 1983 and sounds it... But it has kind of a raw energy about it that I find very appealing.
I do have her album My Everything, but by the time it was released, my tastes had evolved somewhat. I had lost interest in Anita. And now it looks like she's not around as much as she once was. But boy, what a talented lady and a wonderful singer. I need to listen to her music more often. She has a pretty interesting life story, too. According to Wikipedia, she was raised by foster parents and a foster sister. It's really something that she was able to rise to the heights she has.
This is the song that introduced me to Anita Baker...
She followed up with the sensual "Caught Up In the Rapture", which was another song I loved.
Sweet love song...
I remember saving up my money so I could buy Rapture, the album from which these two songs came. I pretty much wore out the tape, listening to it as I rode my bike back and forth from the barn where I kept my horse.
In 1988, she came out with "Giving You The Best That I Got", which I also liked. It was such an elegant song and, having since become a singer myself, I have discovered that it's not an easy song to sing. She does it effortlessly.
I liked this...
But I liked this song, a deeper cut, even more...
There's something very traditionally jazzy about this... I love its playful flirtatiousness.
When I was in college in 1990, Anita released Compositions, which was a strong set of modern "quiet storm" jazz influenced songs.
I like "Fairy Tales", though the words are a little hokey...
"Talk to Me" was more like modern R&&...
I bought her 1994 album "Rhythm of Love", which again, seemed more like R&B than the jazzy stuff she used to do.
"Sometimes I Wonder Why" is probably my favorite on this album, though she does a respectable cover of "You Belong To Me" by Carly Simon and Michael McDonald.
Probably my favorite of all of Anita's albums, however, is her debut, The Songstress. It was released in 1983 and sounds it... But it has kind of a raw energy about it that I find very appealing.
"Feel The Need" is very sexy and passionate... and energetic...
I do have her album My Everything, but by the time it was released, my tastes had evolved somewhat. I had lost interest in Anita. And now it looks like she's not around as much as she once was. But boy, what a talented lady and a wonderful singer. I need to listen to her music more often. She has a pretty interesting life story, too. According to Wikipedia, she was raised by foster parents and a foster sister. It's really something that she was able to rise to the heights she has.
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