JennJoy's Full Review: Have You Heard * by Toshi Reagon
It’s nearly impossible not to mention Ani DiFranco when discussing Toshi Reagon’s latest album, Have You Heard, so let’s get it out of the way right up front. Toshi Reagon has been releasing albums for more than a decade now, but since her most recent effort was picked up by DiFranco’s Righteous Babe label it’s her first that’s gotten a lot of attention. A simple email from Righteous Babe is how I got tuned in to Toshi and I imagine this connection with Ani DiFranco is where a lot of the current buzz about Reagon has originated. While I generally feel Righteous Babe records makes sound choices about what albums to release by non-DiFranco artists, Toshi Reagon truly deserves any attention she receives as a result of this partnership and I hope her music reaches the ears of many new fans like me.
Music is definitely in Toshi’s blood - both parents were Freedom Singers and her mother founded Sweet Honey in the Rock. This lineage is apparent in Reagon’s music, which lands somewhere in R&B territory with plenty of gospel, funk, folk, and Americana thrown in for good measure. Have You Heard rolls all of these styles up in an exquisite collection of ten originals and one cover song. Although Toshi sings and plays guitar she is expertly backed by her regular stage band, Big Lovely, whose musicians contribute bass, drums, organ/keyboards, mandolin, tambourine, harmonica, electric guitar, and backing vocals.
Have You Heard begins with the album’s title track, a gospel-folk number sounds like an unfettered jam session with the band and Toshi’s energetic voice easily takes center stage. And that voice! Reagon possesses a solid set of pipes that allow her to bend genres at will with a mixture of smoky soul, diva power, bluesy wails, and honey-dipped passionate crooning. 㦂 Hours” finds Toshi’s voice dipping into a deep groove as she adds a bit of sultry bravado to this song about losing a lover. She covers “Heartbreak Hotel” with a rather straightforward interpretation that focuses on her smoky vocals, but this is far from the best track on the album.
Toshi hits her stride onHave You Heard with more upbeat numbers, including the folky “Didn’t I Tell You” and the balls-out funk of “Ooh Wee” and “Soul-n-Deep.” Though “Ooh Wee” is a fairly simple track the harmonies are superb and Big Lovely’s prowess shines. “Soul-n-Deep” is reminiscent of Prince and sure to get you dancing and bumping along with the rhythm. Reagon’s band pulls out all the stops on both of these tracks and bassist Fred Cash brings more than a little boogie to the table.
Toshi’s more blues oriented songs are also exceptional. “Building Blues” really shows off Reagon’s songwriting skills with a great arrangement and lyrics like “Baby won’t you please stare outside this window with me, Baby hold my hand we gots to stay high to see.” “You” and “Trying to Bring Love” home weave folk and blues into a beautiful tapestry with subtle textures, but “Down to the Water” packs the most punch. This uncomplicated song features just Toshi’s acoustic guitar and gorgeous voice resonate perfectly with her words. Lines like “You’re sick, I can tell, by the way you built that jail” and “I never can feed you too much, here’s some blood to spill, here’s fuel for your will” will echo in your memory long after the song has ended.
Have You Heard is such a wonderful album that I find it hard to believe Toshi Reagon is not a better known musician. She has played with a wide variety of big names including Lenny Kravitz, who hand picked Toshi to open his first world tour. Hopefully, the backing of a fairly big indie powerhouse like Righteous Babe will give Toshi’s career the momentum it truly deserves, but clearly Reagon (after so many albums and years of touring) isn’t in it for the name recognition. Have You Heard is available for streaming in entirety via the Righteous Babe web site at www.righteousbabe.com, so there’s nothing to lose by checking it out. If you consider yourself a fan of blues, folk, or rock n’ roll - especially that accompanied by a strong female voice - you’re missing out if you don’t give Toshi Reagon a listen.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.