Zakiya Hooker -Legacy | Album Review

Zakiya Hooker – Legacy

www.zakiyahooker.com

self release

10 songs time – 38:53

Zakiya Hooker, John Lee Hooker’s daughter, latest release is filled with R&B-soul music. Her vocals are well suited to the material. No names familiar to me in her musicians. The accompaniment is pretty much the slick variety of studio players.

“Front Door To Hell” is mellow R&B with gospel overtones. Ringing guitars, keyboards and background vocalists. Zakiya voice fares well amongst classic female R&B-soul singers. A leaving-goodbye song with a pleasant groove is “Big Girl Panties”. A Carlos Santana toned guitar solo is a highlight of “Love The Pain Away”. The song also features some churchy organ.

“Love To The Rescue” is a funky wah-wah-clavinet driven slice of R&B-soul. An accompanying male vocalist, probably Anthony Smith, makes for a slow dance ballad on “One More Dance”. The inclusion of what sounds like a pedal steel guitar and most likely keyboard “horns” adds to the vibe.

The closest thing to blues is “Hang On For A While” with mediocre harmonica included mostly for blues cred. The bluesy guitar isn’t half bad. “What Am I Gonna Do” is an upbeat funky R&B “toe tapper”. The recurring theme of broken relationships is visited once again on the mellow funk of “I Don’t Know How It Happened”. A reprise of “Front Door To Hell” closes out the show.

This is a good representation of mostly R&B-soul music committed to a recording by a sure fire bunch of musicians. Can’t say exactly who does what as there are interchangeable players who are given credit for a specific song except for good ole Nate Ginsberg on organ. A tad of blues appears at times, but this is mainly Rhythm & Blues territory. The production by Zakiya, Bassist Ollan Christopher and guitarist Anthony Cook is clean and crisp. Rhythm & Blues fans will have much to enjoy here.

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