[.ca] Love Stories

From Amazon.com:
Now that the genetic code of life has been broken, Frank McComb offers a glimpse of how that scientific breakthrough may affect the music world. With the musical DNA from Donny Hathaway's Fender Rhodes piano and Stevie Wonder's mini-Moog synthesizer, McComb's debut comes off as a romantic mutation of those famous musical genes. He's nowhere near the songwriter that they are just yet, but McComb's vocal texture is so eerily similar to those giants that his debut shouldn't qualify for what is being called "neo-soul" music. This is the real '70s thing--à la Hathaway's Extension of a Man period and Wonder's Music of My Mind. McComb obviously relishes his influences, and he benefits from the guiding production hand of his former boss in Buckshot LeFonque, Branford Marsalis. It also helps that he uses one core all-star jazz group throughout the 14-song set, including Marsalis's sax, Cameroonian Richard Bona's bass, and Russell Gunn's trumpet. The synth pieces have more spirit than the piano pieces, or, said another way, he does Stevie better than he does Donny, with "Love Natural" and "Wasting Your Time" among the best of the 12 originals that McComb displays. And he's not completely stuck in the past--"(They're Gonna Be) Looking at You" and "Listen to Your Heart" have trip-hop's drum & bass feel. --Mark Ruffin

Outstanding!!!:
This dude has a voice that blows me away!!! when he does "his eye is on the sparrow" i'm almost in tears ...by far THE premier jazz vocalist at present..."Wastin your time" was what peeked my interest and after discovering this cd I can say its the best cd i've bought this year (thats not including anita baker's upcomin release -i hope)and yeah he does remind me of DONNY Hathaway...cant wait to get my hands on "the Truth"

Love Stories:
I first heard this cd a year ago and have looked for it since then. I think Frank McComb is great! This CD should have gone over the top. I am waiting for his next CD because this brother has what it takes to go into the jazz hall of fame.

I always knew....:
...that Frank would be a success. I have known Frank since highschool and he sounded just as good then as he does now. The first time the school heard him sing it was for the Cristmas program. He sang "This Christmas" by Danny Hathaway. Danny was reincarnated that day! The auditorium was stunned to silence, then broke into applause. This was a preview of what was to come. Most music today sounds manufactured. This is not the case with this cd. I was totally impressed but not suprised at the pure and refreshing R & B sound of his cd. He actually talks about love. This is what r& b truly is about. His rendition of " His Eye is on the Sparrow" was second to none. If you purchase this cd you will not disappointed and will be sure to have one or more favorites. My husband borrowed the cd and I have yet to get it back!!!! All I can say is BUY IT!!!

Buy It For The Album, I BEG YOU:
I know it sounds kind of funny, but really it's not. In this day and age, most people just buy an album from a particular artist for maybe 2 or 3 songs that they either heard on the radio or in a music video, while discarding the rest of the material within. Well you won't get that here with Frank McComb's debut (which, oddly enough, was shelved by Columbia a FULL YEAR before its release). Each song carries its own weight, expertly woven together by McComb's impeccable vocals and keyboard work. One can easily sense he's a huge Donny Hathaway fan at heart, which is not such a bad thing at all. The lyrics are also well-done, giving a non-abrasive feeling to the listener who may have had enough of the usual vulgar language running rampant right now. The rest of the music is provided by real musicians, something that today's music (R & B especially) could use A LOT MORE OF. For these reasons, you really should buy Frank McComb's album FOR THE ALBUM. Music like this just isn't done in the same capacity anymore. So show the music industy how much you've grown tired of those cookie-cutter, producer-driven flash-in-the-pans and lazy, hackneyed artists that cut corners by neglecting talented musicians in favor of beat machines, samples, and oversynthesized production by picking up this worthwhile effort. Trust me, they'll listen (in spite of their short attention spans, lol).

An Absolute Gem!:
I first heard Frank McComb singing Mona Lisas (And Mad Hatters) on a Buckshot LeFonque/Branford Marsalis CD and I said to myself "Who is this guy? What a voice!" So, I was very happy to hear that he had released a solo album. And it does not disappoint. Great songs, great arrangements, soulful, and funky, and McCombs' vocals are fantastic. Just one example: he does the old gospel song, His Eye Is on the Sparrow--just piano and his vocal, but incredibly moving. There's so much overated garbage out there, so it's especially refreshing to hear a talent like Frank McComb. It also doesn't hurt that he sounds a lot like one of my idols, Donny Hathaway. And speaking of Donnys, if you like Frank McComb, try the CD by Donnie--another great singer who should by much more widely known.

• His Eye Is on the Sparrow
• (They're Gonna Be) Looking at You
• Gotta Find a Way
• If This Is Love
• Love Natural
• Wedding Song
• Futrue Love
• Return to Lake Erie
• Wasting Your Time
• All You Need Is Love
• Reprise
• Listen to Your Heart
• Keep Pushin' On
• Some Other Time