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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1999)
;;\-T :-J .-/^.-- ■• » , *. .-SSQWfrZ ♦ * • f December 15, 1999 <XIiv ÿtartlanù ©bamwr Page 9 Kevon Edmonds voice woo’s listeners in on new album approach that im m ediately m akes him one o f the great. T hat supple voice is the crucial center o f all-star a s s e m b la g e o f s o n g w r ite r s , CflaiKiaUIEILSIQRY Hi8_TuiJPüRILAaJLQ8S£KViK T h ere’s som ething about K evon E dm onds’ voice. A certain tone, a sublim e familiarity w ay beyond the singer/ songw riter’s w ork as a lead vocalist in the hit trio After 7; beyond M ilestone, the supergroup he augm ented, w hich scored the 1997 hit, “ I Care A bout Y ou” from the film “Soul Food.” It is a cosm opolitan w onder that v oice. A v oice w ith o u t peer? Listen to K evon’s debut RCA solo album , 24/ 7 and consider the notion. W ith 24/7- featuring the first single and video o f the tit le tr a c k , K e v o n r e introduces to the gam e a s o u lf u l in g e n u ity , d y n a m is m a n d g ra c e conspicuously absent from u rb an p o p /so u l o f late. D uring such tracks as the urgent groove“ ! W ant You M ore,” the delicious mid- tem po songs “ Love Will B e W a itin g ” a n d “ N o L ove,” and ballads such as the haunting “H ow O ften” and the big scoring “ Baby Com e To M e,” K evon sings w ith an em otional verve that finds its target every tim e. It’s his distinctive tone that sets K evon apart, and his intuitive, heartfelt Kwanzaa producers and players on 24/7 that in c lu d e s K e v o n ’s b ro th e r, the indefatigable K enneth “Babyface” E dm onds, w ho is also his duet partner during the sumptuous ballad “A girl Like Y ou” ; hitm akers Daryl S im m o n s (B o y z II M en, T oni Braxton) and Tim & Bob (TLC, Jon B, M onica), with contributions from W alter A fanasieff (M ariah C arey), am bitious com ers Damon T h o m a s, T o m m y S im s, M arc Harris, Robin Thicke, Greg Curtis, A ngelo Ray and A -list musicians G reg Phillinganes, N athan East, R ic k y L a w so n a n d M ic h a e l Thomson. “M aking 24/7 was exciting because it called for m e to m ove, both as a singer and a collaborator, to another level," says the soft - spoken Kevon. “I w anted to w ork w ith people I respected and people w ho could respect w hat I have to offer as well, and th at’s exactly w hat happened - a com plete collaboration between everyone involved. It was fun, but it w as hard w ork, too. The best kind papa tyurpfuft l-\KE \ BAKE PIZZA ¡LARGE $4" : I PEPPERONI Valid through ¡PIZZA 1999 3523 NE 15th (New Natures Center) 249-1666 Now Open! fro m page 5 w ork I m ust to m ake a living? H ow far am I living o ff the m ark o f how I w ould like to live? W hat changes can I m ake to alter the course o f m y life? D ay 6 K U U M B A (CREA TIV ITY). M o re th a n s im p ly “ m a k in g som ething,” I prefer to think o f creativity as bringing forth that w hich has not existed before. W hen I apply this idea to m yself, I can ask on the sixth day: T o w hat part o f m y self m ust I give birth (crea te), in order to m eet the challenges and p ro m ises o f m y life? C ourage, w isdom , strength, determ ination, faith, and love m ay be som e o f the inner resources I feel m ust bring forth. D A Y 7 IM A N I (FA ITH ). Imani has m any definitions in Sw ahili, c o m p a s s io n , c o n s c ie n c e , convinction, faith, and kindness. O f all these, com passion touches me m ost, and I find m y self asking on this last day o f K w anzaa: In w hat w a y s d o I (c a n I ) le a d a com passionate life? B y compassion, o f work you can get doing something you love.” K evon hails from Indianapolis, Indiana, not exactly renow ned as cradle o f soul m usic, but certainly, a place w here a young singer might u n w ittin g ly h o n e a s ty le th a t effortlessly crosses the boundaries o f R & B and pop. O f six brothers, three o f them - Kevon, K enneth and M elvin - w ould go on to sing professionally. “ I grew up listening to som e o f ev ery th in g , K evon recalls, “but especially the good s tu f f - S tev ie w onder, G lad y s Knight, the Temptations, you know, the classics” Too shy to sing in the church choir, K evon sang to him self“ for my own satisfaction” until his teen-aged years, when he joined his buddies in the ju n io r high and high and high school choirs. I do n o t m ean sim p ly h av in g em pathy or sym pathy for those less f o rtu n a te . R a c is m , s e x is m , h o m o p h o b ia , p o v e r ty , hom elessness, abuse, loneliness, disease, ignorance, grief; these are ju st a few o f the sources o f pain and suffering w e all face daily in the w orld and in ourselves. C om passion seeks healing in the face o f such pain and suffering. I p o n d e r w h ere I can fin d th at com passion and healing within first, before I can offer it to the world outside. C om passion seeks healing in the face o f such pain and suffering. I p o n d e r w h e re I can fin d th at com passion and healing within first, before I can offer it to the world outside. W hen I was approached K w anzaa in this w ay, these seven days help set the tone o f the year to com e, and the life I choose to lead. Clyde W . Ford is the author o f The H eroW ith An African Face: M ythic W isdom o f Traditional Africa. 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