Fresh-voiced singer/songwriter Jazmine “Jazzy” Bailey sends a love letter to her fans with her latest project, Letters To A King, an ambitious EP where Jazzy pays “tribute to greatness,” R&B/Soul music legends like Roberta Flack, Minnie Ripperton and Sade.
Jazzy’s voice is a smooth chirp fluttering above producer Cornelio Austin’s hefty futuristic beats. We must admit her interpretation of these classics is unique. On “Love To Love You”, Jazzy has managed to make the song (in certain moments) feel as ominous as an obsessed lover’s cling while still sounding as light and crisp as an episode of Glee.
Youthfulness is a theme throughout Letters with Jazzy’s gentle delivery staying in an almost adolescent pop pocket. With “Sweet Love” she grazes the earthy track allowing the listener to get lost in the deliberate melody, revisiting her vocals from time to time in between approving head-nods.
“No Ordinary Love” is moody, featuring more airy harmonies but with the proper twinge of anxiety. Jazzy makes falling in love feel like flying, calmly aching onto the track with a quiet passion that surprisingly grabs at the heartstrings. Stripped down and thumping, Austin’s production sounds like an actual heartbeat, or the dopest boy in school banging out a funky beat on the lunchroom table.
“Love Hangover” sounds like a dream-sequence. Here Austin is his most galactic. We can’t decide if we are actually in the clouds, or just really still drunk on love. Jazzy sounds entranced, gliding around the tune like the sweetest afterthought. “Feel Like Making Love”, a duet with Bryan “B.J. the Chicago Kid” Sledge, is this EP’s gem. In this gorgeous presentation, Jazzy is tightly wound with anticipation, yet open and free. The incredibly skilled Sledge anchors this track with stylish soul. Like a ballroom dancer doting on the music, Sledge’s vocals are fantastically understated so as not to overpower, but he leads the way just the same.
Letters To A King is whimsical yet decidedly Hip Hop with its revamped bounce. Jazzy’s sprightly soprano sticks out just enough to keep us interested in what she has up next.
Jazzy – Letters To A King : Tracklist
1- Love To Love You
2- Feel Like Making Love featuring B.J. The Chicago Kid
3- Sweet Love
4- No Ordinary Love
5- Inside My Love featuring J Doe
6- Love Hangover
DOWNLOAD: Jazzy – Letters To A King [EP]
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