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Though many have come before her to soul music, I believe Amel Larrieux embodies everything that is positive, fun, and really soulful in that genre. She’s got:
- Style: The way she dresses and presents herself makes her appear much like a modern day queen. Very different from a princess, she wears what’s respectable and still looks beautiful nonetheless. I admire her style which displays motherhood, beauty, and respect.
- Confidence: Her stage presence is abnormally strong for her petite figure and soft speaking voice. She commands the crowd and subdues them with her music. I will admit that I have personally fallen into a trance by just admiring her being!
- Musical Talent: Not only a beautiful voice that can hold down a wide range of notes, I think she has the best pipes and range in the high ends, better than any vocalist I’ve heard today. Amel also writes and is very conscious about her lyrics which are no lesser in comparison than her voice.
- Respect For History: Though you can always hear her appreciating other musicians and mentors, she put out a full album entitled Lovely Standards (2007) which covered older American jazz musicians ranging from Frank Loesser to Duke Ellington.
You might have heard her name when she was lead singer and musician apart of Groove Theory, the group that brought you songs like Tell Me and Keep Tryin’. She’s also a Grammy nominated artist for her work with Stanley Clarke and Glenn Lewis. Regardless of her credentials, she’s an Obnoxious artist who’s got all the makings for the best soul and jazz singer of our generation.
I’ve never heard a soul singer or any vocalist for that matter hit the high notes that Amel does throughout her various albums and liver performances. She not only hits them, but she stays on them over the course of her songs. At a few live shows, I heard her extend one of her songs five minutes just singing high notes with no lyrics. Sounded just like an instrument that kept up with the other sounds, but did not seem to have any specific agenda. It was like she was in the song and just tagging along for the ride. As weird as that sounds, that’s what she’s able to do with her music.
If you can appreciate the soul + jazz music genres and like what you’ve heard so far, my suggestion would be to start with her first two albums and work your way up. Her debut solo album was entitled Infinite Possibilities (2000) and her second album was named Bravebird (2004). Both are amazing albums that you can listen from start-to-finish and appreciate every song.
On a final note, I will go on the record officially to announce that she’s my favorite soul singer in the world. Though there are more popular and more well known artists in the genre (Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu), I appreciate her music on a deeper level than the others. Not sure if it’s because I’ve seen her live over 5 times, because I have a huge crush on her, or the music is just that good that it blows my mind. Regardless, I love this artist!
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