N'Dea Davenport

The soulful vocals of American N'Dea Davenport led the British acid jazz outfit the Brand New Heavies to worldwide success in the early 1990s. Following the release of 1994's excellent Brother Sister, Davenport left the band to embark on a solo career, and N'Dea Davenport surfaced in 1998. Though much of her work with the Brand New Heavies was brilliant, N'Dea Davenport is more daring and diverse, and no less enjoyable. It's a highly impressive debut effort from the eclectic performer. Unlike many R&B singers who rely on flashy videos and choreography, Davenport is a remarkably mature vocalist, willing to take on the challenge of performing a wide variety of material. "Whatever You Want" recalls her Brand New Heavies days with its acid jazz groove, but since the song opens the album, it gives the false impression that N'Dea Davenport will rely too heavily on past glories. Fortunately, this assumption is proven false on tunes like the slinky, Sly Stone-ish "When the Night Falls" and the modern R&B of "No Never Again." Though her stellar rendition of Neil Young's "Old Man" also shows off her ability to re-invent classic material, much of N'Dea Davenport is self-written, and the R&B, jazz, and blues influences are evident throughout. Fans of the Brand New Heavies' flashy acid jazz stylings will no doubt be surprised with N'Dea Davenport's more organic approach, but the album will quickly win them over. N'Dea Davenport is a fine debut from an incredibly talented and inspired performer. ~ William Cooper, All Music Guide