NOW PLAYING - MARCH

March has been a month largely devoted to hi fi technology and I have not had the time to check the music scene to the same extent I usually do.

Much to my own surprise have I spent the better part of the month behind my amps and speakers, mounting and de-mounting speaker cables and interconnects, rather than standing in front of the turntables spinning records.

The system is now wired with Harmonic Technologies´ Plus-Pro 11 speaker cables, Truth-Link Copper signal cables and Cyber-Link Platinum digital cables. So, what was the outcome of this expedition into technical issues?

The overall sound of the system is more open and it appears warmer with better mid-range and bass response. The treble is velvety and clear. Voices and instrumentation comes distinctly into the room and it got almost a live presence since the bass paunch is felt rather than heard. It is a vast improvement in sound quality compared to my old Van Den Hul wirings.

There has of course been some new music to accompany my excursion into the world of hi fi equipment. I have, for instance, constantly been spinning Jaheim´s excellent debut album Ghetto Love.

JAHEIM:
Ghetto Love
(Warner Brothers)
Despite the facts that Jaheim is both good looking and dressed like a thug on the cover pictures, this turns out to be an absolutely flawless contemporary soul album. Jaheim is compared to the young Teddy Pendergrass by the press and I could not agree more. This is good music for any aficionado of soul music, made in the tradition of great singers and with live instrumentation.

The single Could It Be have had massive airtime everywhere but is does not matter - the album is nevertheless well worth to investigate, even if Could It Be tend to be on the verge of wearing out - it is virtually heard everywhere. I wholeheartedly recommend this album, it is essential listening!

CHANTE MOORE:
Exposed
(MCA)
Chante Moore´s new album Exposed is an exquisite excursion into issues of urban life for a single woman with a child. It is a really good soul album from a woman who have had her share of bad experiences in life and not only seen it on TV. Exposed is topped with the infectious and hooky groover Straight Up as the - not so representative choice - first single from the album.

KOFFEE BROWN:
Mars|Venus
(Arista)
The duo Koffee Brown made some heads turn a couple of months ago with the cool single After Party.

Their debut album Mars/Venus comes with more of the same, sweet and slightly edgy dance soul as After Party provided. The way Fonz (the guy) and Vee (the girl) brings their respective gender bias to the songs means that there is plenty of he-said-she-said drama.

Even though Koffee Brown is a duo, the music is to a large extent focused on Vee´s voice.

The song arrangements brings to mind Marvin Gaye´s and Tammi Terrel´s duets back in the sixties.

Vee is a singer much in the same vein as Marvin Gaye was, even thought he does not reach the same musical heights on this album as Marvin Gaye did when he was at the peak of his career.

It is of course not fair to compare the sophomore work on Mars/Venus by Koffe Brown with the mature work from Marvin Gaye. With that note on difference in experience in mind, I do believe that Vee will develop into a quite accomplished singer.

The next album will show if Koffee Brown is out to maintain the tradition of their musical inspirations and mentors, or if they will make a stand and develop into a truly independent act.

The album is very good and worth buying for the good times single After Party alone.