Artist: Melinda Doolittle
Title: Coming Back To You
Label: HiFi Recordings
Release Date: 2.3.09
UPC: 796019818247
Genres: Pop : R&B
Territories: United States
By: Michael Madavi
In the 6th season of American Idol, Melinda Doolittle proved her talent to a massive TV audience as she produced memorable performances by the episode. She managed to make it through to the top 3, a remarkable feat, but was unfortunately eliminated at that point. Idol judge Simon Cowell said post-finale that the season should have been hers. Despite her defeat in Idol, with her new full-length album, Coming Back to You, Doolittle will gain recognition on her own as an incredibly talented singer for her sweet and soulful renditions of these songs. Doolittle released a self-titled five song EP after the Idol season concluded, but Coming Back to You represents her first full album, and the strongest presentation of her talents to date.
The album is powered not only by Doolittle’s commanding voice but also by the fantastic arrangements of these songs that mostly differ significantly from their originals. The album feels very reminiscent of early Stevie Wonder records, powered by electric pianos, organs, soulful bass lines, a great horn section and background vocals (Doolittle herself contributed background vocals for many artists such as The Doobie Brother’s Michael McDonald). Her vocal stylings lend themselves easily to soulful jams, doo wop ballads, and soft jazz numbers. Many of the album’s tracks take their country roots and translate them into respectable soul numbers that accent Doolittle’s powerful voice perfectly. It isn’t surprising that the whole album is based around her voice since she is a solo artist, but the musical arrangements are what truly allow Doolittle to shine. The album begins with “The Fundamental Things,” the title track from Bonnie Raitt’s 1998 album. The queen of the Stratocaster’s version is a blues jam, groovy in its own right, but Doolittle’s “Wondered-out” version makes you want to move and shake more than the original. Careful not to anger the gods of the blues, Doolittle pays homage to legendary Delta Blues songwriter Robert Johnson, performing “Dust My Broom” and “Walkin’ Blues.” Her versions of Johnson’s blues standards sound more like a Solomon Burke hit than a Delta Blues classic, but much like Burke’s arrangements, the rendition serves to highlight her voice whereas Johnson’s was based on musical phrasing and blues scales.
Doolittle also shows how and why she got so far in Idol by performing numbers by legendary female vocalists such as Aretha Franklin and Celine Dion. Needless to say, the lady delivers. Doolittle used Faith Hill and Franklin songs on American Idol and was universally praised for both performances. The album concludes sweetly and appropriately with an amazing jazz rendition of “Wonder Why,” a ballad from the 1951 musical film Rich, Young, and Pretty. The original was belted out in true musical fashion by Vic Damon and Jane Powell, and was up for an academy award nomination for best original song. Doolittle’s version is a sweet, gentle, and charming jazz rendition that finished off her album by showing she can do more than kick out a funk number or belt an Aretha classic (as if that wasn’t enough). Overall, Melinda Doolittle has assembled a fantastic group of musical performances that showcase her amazing voice around great new renditions of songs from a variety of genres. She may have not won American Idol but this first LP is sure to secure her a permanent and respected spot in the ranks of female vocalists today.
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