The first time I heard of D’Angelo I had won tickets to a show in the Little Five Points area of Atlanta, I think the venue is called the Variety Playhouse.  It was one of those nights that will remain etched in my mind forever.  I was so impressed with him as he sat behind the piano singing what would become classics in my eyes.  It felt like the entire audience knew every word to every song.  It was other worldly.

That was 1995 and he was performing his debut album “Brown Sugar.”  Fast forward to present day and I am rocking his third studio release, “Black Messiah” with comparable fever.  I was also impressed by his second album, “Voodoo,” his works are welcome additions to my collection.

He is an amazing musician who surrounds himself with equally amazing musicians.  His band “The Vanguard” compliments his vocals on Black Messiah with soulful vigor.   If I could write music in words and show you the bass lines and the drum lines and the piano riffs those words would translate to poetry perfectly timed and concious lyrically.

My current favorite is the song, “Betray My Heart,” number nine on the compact disc.  Five minutes and fifty five seconds of grooving greatness.  I swear he says, “I’ll go running to Keesha baby” though everyone I say this to argues he is saying, “I’ll go running to kiss you baby.”  I am going to hear it how I want to hear it.  In my mind, he is singing directly to me.

I would have to agree with some of the other reviews I have read online in saying that it was worth the nearly 15 year wait for his return.  Still, I hope he never takes that long to release new music again.  Black Messiah has recieved much acclaim critically.  I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to see him live again.

I just voted for “Black Messiah” for #AMAs Favorite Album – Soul/R&B, you can too just go to ama.votenow.tv