Now that's a good one. This CD features established artists like Erykah Badu, Amel Larrieux & The Roots, Jill Scott, India.Arie and Macy Gray and up-and-coming new artists like Glenn Lewis, Jack Herrera, Spanish Fly and others.
Red Star Sounds Vol. I offers a excellent blend of modern soul music. We get the fantastic Today (Earth Song) by Erykah Badu which doesn't appear on her Mama's Gun album, the Stevie Wonder (especially the vocals) influenced Don't you forget it, the fantastic You Make Me Wanna Smile Again by newcomer Eddie Jackson 8hope there will be an album out soon) and Don Scribbs (like Eddie Jackson produced by Hi-Jack) with his modern I'll-lighten-your-troubles contribution When Your Ups Are Down. Also worth listening are Jack Herrera's High Off You, Spanish Fly's Don't Stop (produced by Troy Taylor & Charles Ferrar aka The Characters who did a great job on this one, but ruined Kenny Lattimore's Arista Debut for me) or Brad Young's So Sweet.
As if that's not enough this album also features new songs by Macy Gray (We've got enough with it's fine organ in the background, don't know why this song isn't on Macy's The Id), India.Arie (Butterfly done in the same mould as her debut album for Motown), Amel Larrieux & The Roots (good for Amel's part but I guess I'm really not into Hip Hop) plus a remix of Jill Scott's A Long Walk by A Touch Of Jazz, who inject even more deepness into this song). Only two songs don't do it for me, the mediocre Nelly Furtado with Legend and the ragga influenced Still Searching by Damien Marley, Stephen Marley and Yami Bolo. But even without these two, it makes 11 1/2 good songs! Get it!