After a long career on the fringes of the R&B scene -- he's best known for co-writing the soul classic "I'd Rather Go Blind," recorded by everyone from
Etta James to
Fleetwood Mac --
Ellington Jordan finally released his first solo record under his own name with 2005's
Almost Home. Given the depth and breadth of
Jordan's background, it's not at all surprising that
Almost Home is full of both old-school soul and electric Chicago-style blues influences. What might be surprising is how effortlessly
Jordan and his collaborators (which include members of
Black Merda, the pioneering Detroit-based funk-rock band that
Jordan collaborated with in the '60s under the name
Fugi) have updated these sounds.
Almost Home is a neo-soul album along the lines of
Anthony Hamilton and
Jill Scott's work, but coming from a different generational perspective. The addition of hip-hop (courtesy of smooth, unmannered raps by an unknown named A-One) and electronic elements feels organic, not pasted on by a young producer with an eye on the mainstream.
Jordan's varied set of tunes comes with uniformly positive lyrics, even on pointedly political songs like "Soldier" and "Dirty Water" (not the
Standells classic, but a blunt social commentary that recalls
Marvin Gaye's What's Going On), and he sings with expert phrasing and heartfelt passion. ~ Stewart Mason