Will Downing 'Soul Symphony' album

The`80s and `90s introduced a number of suave and stylish soul men to the music world. However, the passage of time has imperatively proven that one man has weathered the storms of shifting tastes and industry longevity to stake his claim as heir to the throne of silky soul royalty. That man is Will Downing, the sensual musical masseuse of the midnight hour and a favorite of discriminating women the world over. In possession of the smoothest, most soothing baritone in all of rhythm and romance, he is a descendant of jazzy soul vocal artists Anita Baker, Luther Vandross and Barry White. For his 12th CD, multi-million-seller Will Downing offers deeply penetrating strokes of passion via his latest masterpiece, Soul Symphony.

Produced by Downing with longtime collaborators Rex Rideout, Chris Davis and Ronnie Garrett, Soul Symphony consists of the sexy opener "Put Me On," the creamy overture "What's It Gonna Be" (co-penned by Brian McKnight with Brandon Barnes, and featuring tasty guitar by Chuck Loeb), the cool Chicago stepper's lark "Soul Steppin'" (a sequel to "Rhythm of U & Me" from his previous album, Emotions), the sweet backbeat soul of "Crazy Love” and a thought-provoking gem about the arc of passion titled "A Promise." There are also three profoundly moving original compositions of Will’s: "Make Time For Love," "Will Still Loves You" and "Heart of Mine." The icing on the cake: a tribute to the late, great Luther Vandross via a cover of his classic arrangement of Leon Russell's "Superstar."

Soul Symphony is Downing doing what he does best: windsurfing the space between sumptuous soul love songs and lushly harmonic jazz-informed arrangements. The "symphonic" aspect of his latest CD's title references his penchant for live instrumentation. "I've been saving the title Soul Symphony for a while now," Downing states. "I always try to do things soulful and contemporary jazz-tinged. But on this record, we spent more on live players than ever." That can be considered budget well utilized, including masterful string arrangements by David Blumberg (whose resume of clients includes Quincy Jones, Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware, Maxwell and Ray Charles' Grammy-winning Genius Loves Company).

Soul Symphony rates among Will Downing's most personal works to date. First there is the ballad "A Promise," a moving John Stoddart composition that poignantly paints a portrait of lovers at a crossroads. The lyric turns on the poetic yet pointed question, "When does the trying become waiting to give up?" Over synthesizer shadings from Chris Davis that recall the soul-stirring work of Stevie Wonder, Will blows you away with his sensitive delivery of this all-too-real story.

"A Promise" segues smoothly into Will's first original of the album, "Make Time for Love," a song he considers a quintessential representation of all that he stands for as an artist. Will and Rex invited songwriter Marc Nelson (a protege' of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and member of vocal group Az Yet) to work with them. The trio knocked the song out in under an hour! And - in another bit of magic - most of Will's vocal was gleaned from one late night take that was only supposed to be a guide track. Purposeful in the lyric and first class in its presentation (dig the nod to "My Favorite Things" in the waltz time coda), "Make Time for Love" reveals Downing as a master craftsman in the architecture of ardor-stoking love songs. "This song defines my style - beyond the fusion of soul and jazz," he remarks.

Amazing as that future classic is, it is Will's second favorite of this collection - behind the grand finale "Heart of Mine," dedicated to his wife. "Each of my albums has a song that sheds insight into where I'm at emotionally and spiritually in my life. This song is a day in the life with me and my lady. Essentially it says, 'If I haven't told you lately, this is what I love about you.'" Sprinkled with vivid images of intimacy such as "the way you rub on my head in that sexy way" and "the touch of your leg when we're laying in bed," the Will Downing/Rex Rideout collaboration "Heart of Mine" is a song that every lover will relate to because they have their own catalog of casual affections that make their love lives precious.

Also special is the Ronnie Garrett collaboration that bears Downing's name: "Will Still Loves You," a dedication to hard-working, romance-starved single mothers with children. "That's my vocal version of (rapper) Tupac Shakur’s 'Keep Your Head Up,'" Downing shares. "On the road, I run into more women in this situation, so I decided to speak on it." Part of he chorus reads, "Two jobs two kids at home / Still feeling like you're all alone / Keep your head up is what you gotta do / And know that Will still loves you."

Will also shows his love for the legendary Luther Vandross, an undeniable influence on his own artistry. In salute, Will offers a subtle and respectful rendition of "Superstar" - a song that Vandross did not write but thoroughly made his own as the closing number of his 1983 album, Busy Body. Rex Rideout - who co-produced GRP Records Grammy-nominated Vandross tribute album Forever, For Always, For Luther - invited Will to perform the song at the subsequent "A Concert For Love" tribute show on October 27, 2004, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Among the highlights of the stellar evening, “Superstar” is revisited by Will on Soul Symphony (co-produced by Chris Davis). It was a challenge that Downing stepped to only after much soul searching.

"There are a couple of artists whose songs I've said I would never do," he confesses: "Donny Hathaway and Luther Vandross. In order for me to get over that, I had to do two things. First was to realize I was never going to beat the original. Second was to look at the bigger picture. I love Luther and this song is my tribute to him. The very best I could do was my interpretation...then give Luther all the praise." Listening to the song's touching final minute all will agree that Downing - as in all that he does - expressed his admiration and the love we all have for Vandross with impeccable class and taste.

Will Downing has been musically massaging sophisticated soul fans with his sensual baritone voice for over 16 years now. After behind the scenes work ranging from `80s club production king Arthur Baker to vocal diva Dionne Warwick, the Brooklyn-born singer/songwriter made his debut on 4th & B'Way/Island with the self-titled album, Will Downing (1988). The U.K.-gold seller was highlighted by a dance cover of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and a tender take on Deniece Williams' "Free," which set him up as a cunning interpreter of classic material. On his subsequent albums Come Together as One (1989), A Dream Fulfilled (1991), Love’s The Place to Be (1993), Moods (1995), Invitation Only (1997), Pleasures of the Night (1998), All the Man You Need (2000), Sensual Journey (2002) Emotions (2003) and Christmas, Love and You (2004), cover songs became staples and eclectically include Paul Davis' "I Go Crazy," Angela Bofill's "I Try," The Stylistics' "Stop, Look, Listen (To You Heart)," Janet Jackson's "Anything," Ephraim Lewis' "Drowning In Your Eyes," Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands" right on up to ‘The Luther Arrangement’ of "Superstar" on Soul Symphony.

Will Downing's winning musical blend has been embraced on radio stations across the R&B, smooth jazz and adult contemporary dial. His hits (several self-penned) include "Sorry, I," "Do You Still Love Me," "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This" (a duet with Rachelle Ferrell), "When You Need Me" (a duet with Chante' Moore), "Don't Talk To Me Like That" and "A Million Ways." His engaging live shows have made him a familiar touring presence, performing in Europe and stateside at venues ranging from nightclubs to festivals and all-star concert packages. Downing has graced stages with cross-pollinating peers such as Gerald Albright, George Duke, Regina Belle, Jonathan Butler, Art Porter, Lee Ritenour and Vesta.

Beyond the music, Will Downing has proven himself to be an outstanding photographer. His lens work was showcased in a 2004 calendar featuring portraits of singer/musician friends. And in 2006, he will self-publish (through Will Downing Productions) a coffee table book titled Unveiled, filled with his work as well as that of several other African American graphic artists from Philadelphia's ArtJaz gallery scene.

Will Downing also continues his very proud role as official spokesperson for the American Stroke Association.

Though Downing debuted with a late `80s class of very talented male singers, he is the only one who has remained a consistent recording artist, cutting albums for several different record labels (Island, Mercury, Verve Forecast, Motown and GRP), yet all within the Universal Records family of distributed companies. While he appreciates the blessings of a steady livelihood and a loyal fan base, he still strives for wider recognition. "As much admiration as we have for each other,” he states of his peers, “every time we get on the mic, we're gun-slinging for our immortality. This business is a tug of war between popularity vs. longevity."

With his graceful and inspired Soul Symphony ratcheting up another wrung of excellence for the veteran, Will Downing leaves no doubt that he is the dashing chocolate marksman of soul with a bead on the hearts of all ladies…with love.

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Tracklisting

Will Downing - Soul Symphony