R&B

Sunday, May 9, 2010 7:30PM

This year show that special mother in your life how much you really care by taking her to the annual 98.7 KISS FM Mother’s Day Concert at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Treat her to a night of music from a few of the artists that she enjoys most.

THE WHISPERS
Formed in LA in the early 60s, the Whispers have certainly taken a “slow and steady” career course in which they have quietly become one of the most successful modern soul groups. Consisting of twin brothers Walter and Wallace (Scotty) Scott, Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson and Leaveil Degree (who replaced departing member Gordy Harmon in 1973), the Whispers hit the pop and R&B charts with “Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong” in 1970. They continued to record throughout the 70s on the Don Cornelius/Dick Griffey “Soul Train” label , but gained momentum toward the end of the decade with tha album Headlights and memorable hits like “Olivia,” “All The Way” and a cover of Bread’s “Make It With You.”

In 1980, Griffey teamed them with upcoming writer/producer Leon Sylvers, and the result was “And the Beat Goes On,” one of the most infectious songs of the disco era and the single that would thrust the Whispers to the top tier of soul artists. “And the Beat Goes On” was included on the excellent Whispers album along with two other instant classics, the Caldwell-penned ballad “Lady” and “A Song For Donny,” a touching tribute to Donny Hathaway sung to the tune of Hathaway’s “This Christmas”. The 80s brought a string of monster soul chart success for the Whispers, with additional hits “It’s A Love Thing,” “Keep On Lovin Me” and “Tonight.” The group later released a hot dance tune written by then-unknown Deele member Babyface called “Rock Steady.” The single shot to the top of Pop, Soul and Dance charts. The group signed to Capitol in 1990 and continued to record soul hits through the mid-90s, garnering success with “Innocent,” “My Heart Your Heart” and “Is It Good To You.”

In 1997 the group recorded an album of Babyface covers, Songbook Vol. 1: The Songs of Babyface, for Interscope Records. It was nearly a decade before the issuance of their next album, the self-released For Your Ears Only, a surprise hit that topped the CDBaby independent CD charts for several weeks. More recently, the group began working on its first Gospel album, Thankful, collaborating with Unified Tribe’s Magic Mendez as well as Fred Hammond, among others. The first song, “For Thou Art With Me,” hit radio in Summer 2009.

TEENIA MARIE
2009 marked the 30th anniversary of Teena Marie’s recording career with the June release of her thirteenth album, Congo Square. The soul-stirring songstress has undeniably been a force to be reckoned with over the course of her extensive professional performing career. The singer/songwriter/producer was in her early twenties when, around 1977, she landed a job at Motown Records. It was at Motown that she met her mentor and paramour-to-be, Rick James, who ended up doing all of the writing and producing for her debut album of 1979, Wild and Peaceful. By her third album, 1980’s gold Irons in the Fire, Marie was doing most of her own writing and producing. That album boasted the major hit “I Need Your Lovin’,” and Marie went gold again with her next album, It Must Be Magic (which included the major hit “Square Biz”). In 1984, Marie recorded Starchild on Epic Records and had her biggest pop hit ever with “Lovergirl.” Though Marie had often soared to the top of the R&B charts, “Lovergirl” marked the first time she’d done so well in the pop market. Three more Epic albums followed and in 1994, the singer released Passion Play on her own Sarat label. Ten years later, Teena Marie signed to Cash Money and released La Doña, featuring assistance from Gerald LeVert, Rick James, and MC Lyte. Sapphire followed two years later. Her latest work, Congo Square, is a passionate, accessible and, as always, autobiographical adventure that cruises smoothly from southern soul and smoky jazz to dance floor funk. Along for the party are special guests Faith Evans (on the first single “Can’t Last a Day”), Howard Hewett (on the steamy duet “Lovers Lane“), MC Lyte (on the sexy opener “The Pressure”), the jazz trio of pianist George Duke (on the title track “Congo Square“), drummer/co-composer Terri Lyne Carrington and bassist Brian Bromberg (on the cinematic ballad “The Rose n’ Thorn” orchestrated by the legendary Paul Riser), and Teena’s daughter Rose LeBeau (on the soul salute “Milk n’ Honey”).