Two years after the surprisingly modern-sounding
Music Is Life,
Jeffrey Osborne returned on
From the Soul with a set of covers. His voice, understated but moving without exception, takes center stage throughout. The arrangements are straight-ahead, conservative, with no frills, and they all stream by at a leisurely pace. When backing most other voices, they'd run the risk of trying the patience of the average listener, but they're fine enough since they're supporting
Osborne. The nicest touch of all is a sweet run through "All at Once," a song co-written by the singer that was made popular (roughly 20 years to the date) by
Whitney Houston. Other highlights include
Gamble/
Huff's "Close the Door,"
Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," and
Barbara Mason's "Yes I'm Ready." ~ Andy Kellman