Also noted - Sounding off: for the latest and hottest in black music!

Ebony, Dec, 2003

ALSO NOTED: Yahzarah, BLACKSTAR (Three Keys); Ron Isley Meets Butt Bacharach: Here I Am (DreamWorks); Musiq Soulchild, SOULSTAR (Def Jam); Dave Hollister, REAL TALK (DreamWorks); Joe, AND THEN (Jive); Freddie Jackson, IT'S YOUR MOVE (Martland Ent.); Maria, MY SOUL (DreamWorks); Biz Markie, WEEKEND WARRIOR (Tommy Boy); Montell Jordan, LIFE AFTER DEF (The Enterprise/Koch); P!nk, TRY THIS (Arista); Earl Thomas, SOUL'D! (Memphis Intl.); 2PAC: Nu-Mixx Klazzics (Death Row/Koch); ALT debut (Epic); Bad Boy's Da Band, TOO HOT FOR TV (Bad Boy); Big Tymers, RIG MONEY HEAVY WEIGHTS (Cash Money); Down South Georgia Boys, DSGB (Motown); RZA, BIRTH OF A PRINCE (Wu-Records/Sanctuary); Loon debut (Bad Boy); Silk, SILKTIME (Silk Music/Liquid 8); Outkast, SPEAKERBOXXX/THE LOVE BELOW (Arista); Wyclef Jean, GREATEST HITS (Columbia); Crunik, Christmas compilation (TVT); Shirley Caesar and Friends (Word); CeCe Winans presents ...

Born Again Church Choir (Pure Springs/EMI Gospel); Ramiyah debut (Columbia); T.D. Jakes presents Follow the Star (EMI/Dexterity); The Dixie Hummingbirds, DIAMOND JUBILATION (Rounder); Rev. Timothy Wright & New York Fellowship Mass Choir II, LIVE IN NEW YORK (AIR); Witness, AN APPOINTED TIME (Axiom); The Diamond Anthology (ROC Diamond); Great Joy! A Gospel Christmas (Sh-K Boom), featuring 50 cast members from hit Broadway shows; Eric Reed, MERRY MAGIC (Maxjazz); Abbey Lincoln, IT'S ME (Verve); Nneena Freelon, LIVE (Concord); Eloise Laws, SECRETS (Rikki/Scepterstein); Will Downing, EMOTIONS (Verve); Prince, N.E.W.S. (NPG); Duke Ellington-Far East Suite reissue (Bluebird); Nat King Cole: The Classic Singles (EMI); Count Basle & His Orchestra, THE COLUMBIA YEARS (Columbia Legacy); Josh Roseman Unit, TREATS FOR THE NIGHTWALKER (Enja/Justin Time); Children on the Corner, REBIRTH (Sonance); Special EFX, PARTY (Shanachie); James Carter, GARDENIAS FOR LADY DAY (Columbia); Thaddeus Hogarth, IT MIGHT AS WELL BE NOW (Planetary); Jeff Bradshaw, BONE DEEP (Hidden Beach); and Gary Taylor, ECLECTIC BOHEMIAN (Morning Crew).