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Freshman CD By Akua Allrich Fuses Jazz And Neo Soul

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Even before the completion this summer of her first CD, Washington, DC native Akua (pronounced a KWEE a) Allrich was electrifying audiences in and around the nation's capital. She repeatedly sold out Bohemian Caverns, a U Street jazz spot most often home to legendary jazz artists. Now both her independently produced CD, A Peace of Mine, and live concerts are hotly in demand.

Akua Allrich and her music is the riveting product of “The Great Migration." Southern gospel, spirituals and jazz led to R&B and soul, then hip-hop and rap when metabolized by the pace of Northern life. Her own family came from Mississippi and Florida to the “Mecca" represented by Howard University, where she was schooled in many decades of jazz. Her powerful delivery and deeply felt emotion drive even mild-mannered audiences to stomp, scream and whistle in appreciation. Calling her a vocalist is like referring to a hurricane as a “gust of wind." She is truly a force of nature.

While enjoying huge popularity with avowed jazz lovers in Maryland and the District, Allrich is not yet ready to narrow her range of musical styles. As she seeks a wider listening audience, she may well continue to emulate kindred spirit Nina Simone, who refused to be pigeon holed throughout her career. Allrich has heard wildly enthusiastic concert audiences clamor for more. Thus, her new CD unabashedly overflows with 14 tracks gracefully crossing related musical genres.

Of ten tunes penned by Allrich, half were co-written by producer and multi-instrumentalist A. Jermaine Mobley. Allrich looks for a “sweet sound" in her music. Deeply rooted African rhythms and traditions underpin her creations of jazz and neo soul. Her vocals reflect a loving and gracious personality tempered by an intelligent and probing mind. A flirtatious or coy lyric from her lips never signifies an empty headed female, but instead suggests a wise woman who knows how to treat a man. That kind of maturity is missing in much of today's music. She pairs it with a quick wit and engaging humor.

The CD bursts into flame with the opening piece, “Fire." Mobley laid down the rhythm tracks (Afro Beat, funk and fusion) and Allrich quickly rose to the challenge of creating the melody and lyrics. The piece demonstrates her deep spiritual and musical connection to the African Diaspora. Says Allrich, “The song is a sort of prayer. It incorporates a traditional Asante chant from Ghana, which is a calling of the spirit: calling on the energies of the world to prepare the way to prayer and higher consciousness." The chant is heard in the beginning and repeated throughout the song and listeners can feel the fiery spirit it conveys.

In the second track, “Hard to Get," and third “Sweet Dreams Man," the soulful and slippery smooth vocals show another side of the artist. A jazzy Bossa Nova groove takes hold, leaving the listener eager for more. The style of both pieces is influenced by a time when Allrich had fallen in love with all things Afro Brazilian and was practicing Portuguese and Capoeira (the graceful yet powerful martial art once used in slave rebellions). On “Sweet Dreams Man," Kris Funn adds body and texture on the upright bass, finishing with a lick borrowed from A Tribe Called Quest's “Can I Kick It?" (originally from Lou Reed's “Take a Walk on the Wild Side"). The fourth cut, “Gypsy Lover," has an irresistible Reggae groove that is just plain delicious. Allrich wrote the song that showcases silky smooth vocals rocked gently by the syncopated beat of Mobley's instrumentals. Track seven, “Just Wait," has an equally infectious groove. A sensuous rhythm and sultry vocals pull the listener in like a powerful undertow. With deeply personal lyrics penned by Allrich, it's another flavorful piece of ear candy from the Allrich/Mobley collaboration. Mobley plays bass, guitar and drum machine.

The album also sports three well-known jazz covers: Track 10 ("Guess Who I Saw Today"), Track 11("All the Things You Are") and the theme from Black Orpheus ("Manha de Carnaval") on Track 13. The latter part of the album features five more instrumentalists, all firmly rooted in the jazz genre. Among them, pianist Janelle Gil, bassist Kristopher Funn and drummer John Lamkin frequently accompany Allrich in her live performances.

Educated in Washington, Akua Allrich received a BM from the Howard University jazz program and an MA from the school of social work. Her father exposed her to music at an early age. She was coached and mentored by renowned singer Kehembe V. Eichelberger, singer/drummer Grady Tate and pianist Charles Covington. Her life as a teacher, wife and mother seems to ground her and provide a springboard for her art, while her large extended family supports her musical career in myriad ways.

As a singer and composer, her musical roots run deeply into blues, jazz and rhythm and blues and she infuses her music with elements of several African genres and American Soul. Allrich sings in many languages of contemporary jazz, including Zulu, Xhosa, Portuguese, French, Spanish and English.

With encouragement from Bohemian Caverns managing partner Omrao Brown, the singer has developed special tribute programs honoring the music of Miriam Makeba and Nina Simone. Her concerts often combine the music from her album, A Peace of Mine, with classics from the aforementioned heroines and have elicited invitations to appear in concerts and festivals in the United States and abroad.

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