Search - Melinda Doolittle :: Coming Back to You

Betty T. (BettySunshine) from WARNER ROBINS, GA
Reviewed on 7/24/2009...

Love it! This album is a mixture is fun, soul, smooth. Melinda's voice carries them all. "Coming Back to You" is beautiful. "Dust My Broom" is fun. Definitely not one of those albums where every song sounds the same. I'm ready for more by her!

Soul Magic

J. Moffet | 11/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From start to finish, Melinda Doolittle's new album, "Coming Back to You" is simply soul magic. Thirteen songs showcase her vocal range with an exquisite blend of gritty blues, Tina Turner-style rockers, smooth jazz (imagine Nancy Wilson but even better), and beautiful ballads reminiscent of "My Funny Valentine" which feature Melinda's rich velvety vocals set against lush instrumental backdrops. Every song has as its foundation, soul, pure powerful heartfelt soul. Most albums have four or five "good" songs tops. This album has thirteen "incredible" songs, no duds! Each song is like a miniature tapestry, where Melinda paints a musical picture-story with her voice. If you're searching for an album you can play from start to finish, listen to over and over, and never tire of it, this one's for you."

Melinda Doolittle's Debut CD

Tom | Lakeville, MA | 02/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Let's get back to the fundamental things

Let's get back to the elements of style"



So sings Melinda Doolittle in the opening cut of "Coming Back to You", her debut CD. And get back she does, applying her impressive vocals to grooves, rhythms and melodies that span the best of the past, including songs from Robert Johnson (a scintillating "Dust My Broom", "Walking Blues") and Sammy Cahn (gorgeous renditions of "The Best of Everything", "I'll Never Stop Loving You" and "Wonder Why"). Other standouts include "It's Your Love", an outstanding "girl group" effort and "If I'm Not in Love", a song made famous by Faith Hill and reimagined as a soul burner. Few artists have the vocal chops of Melinda Doolittle, but it's her emotional connection to the material that makes her one of the best vocalists of her generation. This CD both satisfies and whets the appetite for more - five stars.

After listening to this CD for months, both in my car and on my home system, I have one recommendation for anyone who wants to understand how great Melinda is: Listen to "Wonder Why", the final song on "Coming Back to You".

It is just Melinda's voice, backed by a Fender Rhodes style piano. And her phrasing is astonishing - utterly beguiling. There are a few examples of an artist so completely inhabiting a song that it becomes a definitive version. Eva Cassidy's "Over The Rainbow" comes to mind, but where Eva's emotional center was one of human yearning so poignant as to break one's heart, Melinda's emotional center here is of the giddy feelings of first love; not a childish fantasy, but a mature appreciation of having the self-confidence to lose oneself in another. After being impressed with Melinda's star turn with "My Funny Valentine" on Idol, this performance proves that Melinda Doolittle was born to carry the Great American Songbook to a new generation.

All of the performances on "Coming Home to You" are great. "Wonder Why" is world class. Melinda, please do an album of standards and take your place as the Ella Fitzgerald of your generation."