We all know what the 'Who' in the album title did to Jill Scott and her Who Is Jill Scott debut album. And after listening to Maya Azucena's album Maya Who?! you won't be asking 'Who?' anymore since this is really an impressive set and you'd be damned if you missed it just because you have forgotten her name.
Where most of the so-called ladies of nu soul concentrate on ballads and hip/hop influenced soul, Maya brings back what seems to be long forgotten, i.e. the funk. Her songs have this great mid/uptempo funk groove that has been missed for so long. Oh, and of course she can sing too. She even writes her own songs.
Do You Really Wanna Party with its handclapping happy-go-lucky feeling is just a perfect groove to get a party started. Just as funky is My All, another song that finds you dancing while listening to it.
With Too Much, Get Ya Self Up, G-hetto there are more other great funky tracks on this album. But Maya and her band are very versatile and give us a brilliant midtempo soul song with Like No Other. Or take Still Searchin, simply a fantastic soul song with a nice organ solo and Maya singing her heart out. And if you're still not convinced that Maya Who?! is a must have album, there's a fine cover version of Stevie Wonder's All In Love Is Fair with just Maya and some Fender Rhodes.
The CD also features 4 minutes as a Quicktime movie with Maya telling us more about her music, her influences and her performances.
Like I've said, Maya Who?! is a must have album for every soul aficionado and if you like the albums of Frank McComb or Marlon Saunders, you'll certainly love this one.