Syleena Johnson - Chapter 2: The Voice

The fact that both Buddy Guy and R. Kelly made guest appearances on Syleena Johnson's 2001 release, Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness, is quite revealing -- it tells you that the Chicago-based singer has a connection to both the past (soul and the blues) and the present (urban contemporary and hip-hop). And that urban/neo-soul outlook continues to serve Johnson well on her generally excellent follow-up, Chapter 2: The Voice. Like Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Macy Gray, Jaguar Wright, and Jill Scott, Johnson obviously has a strong sense of history -- '60s and '70s soul have had a major impact on her gritty, rugged vocals, and she brings an impressive amount of blues feeling to her performances. Read More