The Experience Of Angela

After all these years, I still love listening to Angela Bofill. Ms. Bofill hit it big in 1978, signed to Clive Davis' Arista records where she introduced the "smooth soul" sound. But in the span of her musical career, one cannot pigeonhole her music in just one genre - she also gave wondeful R & B, Jazz, and Afro-Cuban music. Part Cuban and part Puerto Rican, she was one of my favorite singers growing up, and to this day, not a lot touch me musically as deeply as she does. Her album, "Experience" is meant to celebrate her artistry, it's a companion peace to her 2010 show where she came back on stage after suffering two strokes in 2006 and 2007. It's a great collection, with a mix of her hits, like "Break It To Me Gently," and Under The Moon And Over The Sky" to lesser known gems like the wonderful "You Can't Hurt Me Anymore," and "Love In Slow Motion," an underrated jewel from her last studio album from 2006 of the same title. Jazz and R & B purists hold her to high esteem, and she has a cult following that is very vocal. I love the whole album, a treat from beginning to end, and you even get a glimpse of how electric she is singing live, on "Follow Your Road," which is from a  small club date from 2004. And anything with her "You Should Know By Now" is magic by itself.