Melba Moore & Phil Perry - The Gift of Love (2009) FLAC

The Gift of Love pairs R&B legend and Tony Award-winning actress Melba Moore with veteran R&B star Phil Perry. Co-produced by Chris "Big Dog" Davis, Preston Glass, David Nathan, and Dwayne Palmer and released on Shanachie, the set contains 11 upbeat, uplifting, and inspirational songs that run the gamut from contemporary gospel to adult contemporary. These duets are structured in an old-school soul style, but the sonic presentation is up to the minute for radio. There are some solid moments on this set, including the opening cut, "Optimistic," a kind of anthem for entire album; the classic Broadway ballad "I Believe," which is a solo for Moore; the shimmering "Sadie," with saxophone work from Kim Waters; and the title track that closes the album. This is message music that engages the listener musically as much as it does inspirationally. -- Thom Jurek