Nigel Hall Takes His Harlem R&B To New Orleans (American Music Show Ep 286)

Nigel Hall plays tracks from Ladies & Gentlemen.. Nigel Hall. He also talks about developing is music in Harlem, his move to New Orleans and lots of keyboards nerd stuff.

Also on this episode, cowpunk from the Waco Brothers, new swing music from The James Hunter Six. Plus I’ve got another track from that Luther Dickinson folk album, more from the Malcolm Holcombe album, stringband music from Tellico, and a classic Kris Kristofferson tune.

Listen now at AmericanMusicShow.com

PopMatters Review: 8/10

On His Solo Debut, Nigel Hall Brings His Blend Of Authentic Soul And Undeniable Funk To The R&B Landscape With Rewarding Results

“Don’t change for me,” Nigel Hall insists on his song of the same name during the singer’s debut solo set, Ladies & Gentlemen … Nigel Hall. The phrase is harmonized over Adam Deitch’s creatively funky drums as part of a groove that ought to make enough Meters to complete a kilo smile. It’s one of the many moments throughout these 10 songs that make you wonder where Nigel Hall came from. Part retro-fitted R&B with pop tendencies, part groove-tastic soul cooking that that tastes authentic enough for Questlove to offer a co-sign, Ladies & Gentlemen is a must for anyone still waiting for something like a new Raphael Saadiq album (seriously: where’s that guy been?).

Opener “Gimme a Sign” is straight-forward enough to spark memories of the genre’s golden years, highlighted by a driving drum beat and a killer falsetto. “Two Sweet” is the 2015 version of an Erykah Badu slow jam sung by the opposite sex. “Try, Try, Try” is equally as funky as “Don’t Change For Me”, complete with a vocal part that’s as simple, abstract and repetitive as some of Sly Stone’s most memorable work. And then the Isley Brother cover “Lay Away”, featuring Quest on drums, slows down the original in ways that allow it to resonate all these years later.

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