Buy Marvin Sease's CD today

Marvin Sease
Hoochie Mama
BMG

Every once in a while a new release hits the CD player and immediately becomes your instant favorite. This is the case with Marvin Sease's latest release Hoochie Mama (BMG), and to these ears and to some other ears that happened to be around when I first put it on, this is his finest release to date. Gone are the sexually explicit lyrics and package warnings. In it's place is a release with every track having potential "hit" possibilities. The title cut is already a southern soul/blues radio favorite.

The CD overall has a deep soul feel to it as on the outstanding "Is It Over," with Marvin pleading with his wife to come back home. In the background you hear the kids crying, "...daddy, when is mommy coming home?..." A real tearjerker.

Additional tracks such as "Don't Forget To Tell On You," "You Must Be Crazy," and "I Can't Believe" are all slow burners that show off Sease's extremely soulful voice, and puts him right up there with the great deep soul singers of all time. One of the more upbeat tunes, "Ain't Nobody In The Bedroom," pays tribute to James Brown. The tribute may be unintentional, but with Marvin shouting "...I need the bridge now..." it is a dead giveaway.

There are no weak songs on this CD. 11 songs, all with airplay potential and all written by Sease himself. No small feat since so many contemporary releases from companies that have a staff of songwriters don't have the consistency that this release has.

This is my number one release to date in this new century, and a sure bet to make my (and many others) best of the year list. It has my highest recommendation. Four deep bows to Marvin Sease.

--- Alan Shutro