URBAN LEGACY
Artist: Julia Jordan
Julia Jordan guitar, vocals; Phil Gates lead guitar & bass; Stanley Jordan lead guitar on Revolution; Rena Beavers drums; Melena Percussion; Ron Battle Bass.
Here is a group of original songs by singer, songwriter Julia Jordan that will hypnotize and entertain. You can immediately tell that she is enamored by the music and talents of Joni Mitchell. Even so, this talented lady manages to establish her own special blend of style and guitar rhythms. She decorates her guitar instrumentation with interesting prose and her own vocal harmonics. Patience is a tune that catches the listener’s ear like the hook of a dangling earring. It grabs the attention with it’s pretty melody, introduced by the soft clarity of Julia Jordan’s crystal clear voice. With poignant lyrics, both introspective and melancholy, the beauty of both words and melody are spellbinding.

Revolution has a Latin flavor and reminds me of days I spent in Spain. It features the magic of Stanley Jordan on lead guitar. There is a taste of Stevie Wonder wrapped into the chord changes of this tune. He may be another inspiration to this young songwriter.

Wrapped in the Latin mood, she incorporates effective movement of time with unique lyrical patterns. I especially like the clarity throughout this project. There’s no clutter of big production and Julia Jordan’s voice is not lost inside a toobusy track of multimusicians.  There is only Julia, her guitar, and a few tasty musicians who totally support the songwriter’s musical ideas. Producer Phil Gates is to be congratulated on a production that brings the artist to life and showcases her voice, her songs and her style first and foremost. The composition Naked is full of energy. It features feisty lyrics that taunt and rhythms that make you want to get up and dance. Whisper repeats itself melodically and lyrically. On this song, drums, tamborine and percussion add spice to Julia Jordan’s guitar and take a turn towards World Music with African or Arabian roots. This song chants it’s way into your heart. If you are looking for something new, exciting, creative, enchanting and beautiful, take a listen to Urban Legacy. It exposes the musical canvas Julia Jordan uses to paint her own unique collection of ten pictures, using music, lyric and imagination. Her voice is the evermoving paint brush.

Reviewed by: Dee Dee McNeil
April, 2008
Submitted to: www.LAJazz.com

Dee Dee McNeil
April 2008

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