Gabriel Tajeu - An Introduction to Gabriel Tajeu (2017)

Raised on a rich musical diet that included Prince, John Mayer and the first-generation of neo-soul kings, Tajeu began his musical career supplying vocals for Alabama-based hip-hop duo Ivory Soul. He later joined Birmingham cover band Bonus Round, a group that featured some of the area’s finest musicians — drummer extraordinaire Mark Lanter, St. Paul and the Broken Bones’ trombonist Chad Fisher and guitar pros Allen Barlow and Allen Stone, just to name a few. Within this brotherhood, Tajeu felt the urge to compose his own music. They would accompany him on his first album, a robust collection of neo-soul and R&B blessed with such standouts as the neo-soul-brewed “Weight of the World,” the funky “Something It Ain’t,” and the midtempo jam “Raindrops.” “This was my first statement to the world,” he says of his first record. “It was establishing me as an artist and introducing my sound.”

Southern Skies, Tajeu’s sophomore LP, incorporates even more musical stylings and dips into explorations of country and rock. While songs like “Someone to Love” and “Down to the Wire” focus on his R&B craft, “Sunday’s Best” and the twangy title track freely explore the world of calm country soul. “I was building off what I did on the first record so I highlighted the musicality of those songs and showcased what kind of talent was around,” Tajeu says. He even pens a song partly inspired by the political uprisings and social injustice of the world (“The Beat Goes On”). “I’ve been trying to write songs like that for a very long time,” Tajeu asserts. “But it’s difficult to write a song with a social message that also checks the boxes of not feeling forced while being catchy in the Marvin Gaye type of vein, like when we listened to ‘What’s Going On.’”

To help develop that sound on Southern Skies, Tajeu would make the pilgrimage to the legendary FAME Studios in North Alabama to record the rhythmic layout for several of the tracks. Knowing its cultural significance for birthing some of the greatest records in history, he made the trip to FAME a top priority and featured two legendary musicians from the original Muscle Shoals Rhythm section — bassist David Hood and keyboardist Spooner Oldham. “It does have a vibe,” Lanter says. “You can’t be in there and not acknowledge the photos on the wall of the people that have recorded countless classic albums and singles. Sitting across the room from David Hood and cutting tracks there was an incredible experience.”

Many incredible engineers worked on the records, but Gabriel and Ledama both credit the contributions of engineer James Bevelle for the aural success of the two albums. When confronted with the accolades, he seems humble, almost too shy and surprised to respond. “When Gabe came in here with the first record and played the first song, I knew where he was going with this. I never really think about the accolades. I just like making good music.”

J Matthew Cobb
HiFi Magazine