Leela James

In The Spirit Of Etta James
w. Jay Hayden
Saturday, July 14
8:30pm
$29.50

Artist's Website: www.leelajames.com | www.jworldrecords.com


Why She's Worth Watching: Since her childhood in L.A.'s eclectic urban culture, singer Leela James has woven the soul tradition into and around every corner of her creative identity. Deep within her rich and powerful voice are the echoes of Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight and other iconic divas of generations past. And yet, James' brand of soul is very much her own – a music inspired by past masters but galvanized by her own life experience and highly focused artistic vision.

Clearly, Leela James's musical soul embraces an infinite range of emotions and human struggles. As an artist and as a person, making tough choices and doing the right thing ¨C even if it's the hard thing ¨C is what she's been all about for more than a decade. In the process, she has never lost sight of the core values of the soul tradition ¨C passion, perseverance and a strong sense of identity. All of these and more are at the foundation of My Soul.

"In the past, people tried to put me in a box, based on what they thought soul should sound like," she says. "But soul is whatever comes out of you when you bring your deepest and most honest emotions to the forefront. All these songs are a representation of my soul."

Jay Hayden is by no means a stranger to the world of R&B. Although Jay has many accomplishments as a solo artist, he has partnered with many successful performers, producers and companies within the industry such as: Tank, Raheem Devaughn, Ashford & Simpson, Debra Cox, Dwele, Jon B, Kindred ¡°The Family¡± Soul, Eric Roberson, platinum selling producers Roy Hamilton and Glen Mosley, BET, E-Entertainment Television, and the list goes on. Love Counseling, Jay Hayden's debut album captures the essence of soulful R&B with a deep romantic twist through piano, acoustic guitar and other instruments. His compassionate understanding of the struggles, joys and pains we all experience in love, relationships and heartbreak pulsates through every note. His first single ¡°No Where¡± which hit Billboard¡¯s top 100¡äs has been featured on the nationally syndicated Michael Baisden Show and is currently playing on Washington, DC¡¯s own 96.3 WHUR-FM along with various stations around the world.

For Fans Of: Soul Music, Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott, Ledisi

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