What happens when an energetic, creative recording artist feels constricted by being a part of one of today’s dying major record labels? Well there usually is some kind of epiphany that emancipates said artist, and if they are lucky, the musical juices are still flowing once they have broken free. Oh, and the artist might just tell the label where to put their contract on the way out the door. So it is for the resiliently independent and legendary Nikka Costa who fittingly created her own record label as an expression of her new found wings, and as way to bless her new, true to herself album “Pebble To A Pearl” [gofunkyourself records/Stax STX-30942-02].
A legendary label for a legendary voice
As her good luck would have it, another label would beckon, but this time with a sweeter song that hit her in her soul. It was the legendary Stax label that wound up helping get this to market. Nikka Costa is an over energized ever-ready bunny on stage, whose live performances are not to be missed so I hear. But it seemed the studio always had a way of suppressing that excitement. So it’s no surprise that she and producer/husband Justin Stanley recorded this album in a “live” setting in-studio during only two weeks! Like, get it done and don’t look back.
The first taste
I first heard from this album when I was sent the disc with seven bangin’ remixed club versions of the lead song, “Stuck To You” which, without the dance flavas of the likes of Richard Vission, Tommie Sunshine, or Dave Aude` is only a cutesy song. Initial impressions upon listening to ‘Pearl’ are that it felt like listening to an Al Green record from the mid-1970s! In fact, when I researched through the press release, I found out that Nikka had marshaled the services of drummer James Gadson and James Poyser on keyboards, two parts of his old rhythm section! This is really noticeable on “Cry Baby” with those trademark organ accents.
The third and title track, “Pebble To A Pearl” has a definite Stevie Wonder feel, and comes complete with “la-la-las” from “Living For The City” in the same key. Listen for Nikka’s uplifting optimism on the ballad “Someone For Everyone”. Comparisons to Chaka Khan stir and you’ll “Keep Wanting More” midway through these selections. Costa’s newfound career cruise control may have allowed an exhalation to really belt-out these songs and unleashing a fire she always hinted at beneath the gloss of her previous two records with Virgin. She could be swaying across a Broadway stage in style portraying the lady blues of “Love To Love You Less”. We all should rally connect with the lofty and utopian love-not-war message of the last song that flies like a dove, “Bullets in the Sky”.
Before there was this year’s Grammy nominee Duffy, there was Nikka Costa, and while this is material better suited for listening rather than club dancing, a little “something” may still be missing for her to have that number one smash that she apparently is desperately seeking. Nevertheless, there is something supernatural about this artist which defies me from being “mean” and rating this renaissance with anything less than three-and-a-half stars with the hope that she will keep on trucking to perfection.
Released October 14, 2008 on GoFunkYourself/Stax Records.
