Maysa

More than covered

By Ross Boissoneau

 Her work with Incognito and her solo efforts showcase her honey-sweet voice, and her latest, Feel the Fire (Shanachie), follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, as she pays tribute to the songs and singers who have inspired her along the way.

“It’s an extension of a special project for Shanachie,” she says. “The first was Sweet Classic Soul. You might say this is the second volume.”

You might, but that would be doing Feel the Fire a disservice. Sweet Classic Soul featured songs like “Betcha By Golly Wow,” “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” and others not only identified with, but pretty much defined by, the original artists. It sounds like a covers album. In contrast, Feel the Fire has only one tune that might be in that category: the concluding “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Even there, however, Maysa’s version can stand comfortably alongside Bill Withers’ original. “I was breaking up with my boyfriend [during the recording of that tune],” she recalls. “I was just devastated. I was so happy for five months, then … That’s why that song means so much to me.”

But don’t get the impression that the album is a mournful trip through Heartbreak City. The songs explore a range of emotions and tempos, from ballads to uptempo workouts. Maysa also ups the jazz quotient. The opening “Can’t Help It,” for example, includes a brief scat interlude midway through. The following “You Are My Starship,” originally by Norman Connors, is another of her favorites, a nearly over-the-top ballad full of shimmering keyboards, sultry soprano sax, and Maysa’s heartfelt vocals. “I Don’t Want to Lose You,” by contrast, is heavily funkified, the synthetic horns bouncing around the backing vocals straight out of the disco days but with a healthy dollop of soul, Maysa-style. “I’m in Love” is hopeful, and enthusiastic, with a bass hook that propels it smoothly along, while Maysa lets the listener know “there ain’t no doubt about it, I’m in love.”

To these ears Feel the Fire is more listenable, more adventurous, and more, well, jazzy than its predecessor. It sounds less like an attempt to garner airplay and closer to the artist’s heart.

That will continue with upcoming projects, she promises: “I’m looking forward to doing an all-original album in about a year, my own voice, my own thoughts. I’m writing for it now. It’s going to be called Metamorphosis. I turned 40 last year, and I want to approach life in a different way. I want to be more in control. People can mistake my kindness for weakness. I want people to know they can’t play with me.”

Maysa is hopeful the album will do well, helping her achieve greater recognition. “I hope it takes my career to the next level,” she says forthrightly. “I know people know about me. But people are not making the connection with me and the voice. The industry is so weird right now.”

She says that extends to live performance. She’s doing some more cover gigs but would like more opportunities to perform live doing her own material. “That’s why I want the record to blow up,” she says. “Once they get me in to perform, they bring me back, but I have to get in the first time.