All soul-ed out

While Maxwell may have played the “silent game” for some years now, and Jamie Foxx is better known for his exploits on the big screen (a Best Actor Academy Award and BAFTA for Ray are always nice to put on the mantle); their latest albums do show that life as a recording star could not be sweeter for these two multi-talented Afro-Americans.

Maxwell — BLACKsummer’night (Sony BMG). Ever since his first studio release back in 1996, Maxwell has been considered one of the fathers of neo-Soul. A hybrid of R&B, soul, jazz and chill, neo-Soul is often perceived as a cooler, more laid back subgenre of R&B. And Maxwell is, hands down, one of its more successful exponents. Recorded live in the studio to give the music an extra “real feel” and authenticity, BLACKsummer’night is the first of a trilogy project. Pretty Wings, Bad Habits, Stop the World, and Cold are among the stronger tracks on the CD, but as in previous albums, it’s more about getting into a groove and seeing the CD as a fluid whole. Smooth, mature and sexy, it’s good to have Maxwell back — as it’s been eight years since his last studio release.

Jamie Foxx — Intuition (Sony BMG). There are only four artists who have won both Academy Awards and held No. 1 albums on the record charts — Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Barbra Streisand and Jamie Foxx — so that’s some rarefied company that Jamie Foxx keeps.

 Also known as a stand-up comedian, it would seem that this college football varsity star can put no foot wrong with whatever he sets out to accomplish. While Intuition has guests like T.I., Lil Wayne, Timbaland, T.Pain, Kanye and Ne-Yo, the real surprise here is how well Jamie takes on the slow jams songs and ballads. He’s placed most of the club hits (Just Like Me and Blame It) at the start of the CD, so when the slower songs come on, it’s like he’s joined forces with Maxwell in playing the seduction game.