Evolution of a Man

Performer: Brian McKnight
Producer: Brian McKnight
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Photographer: Christian Lantry. Brian McKnight's lone set of non-Christmas material for Warner Bros., 2006's TEN, peaked exactly where his previous six proper albums topped out (within the Top Five of Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart), yet he finds himself on E1 (formerly Koch) for EVOLUTION OF A MAN. Though he has written and produced plenty of his own material in the past, he did it all on this one, and presumably provided much of its instrumentation. It's a set that is predominantly slow, sparse, and intimate. Most of the album's last two-thirds offers familiar McKnight fare -- sensitive, soothing backdrops that are at least comforting when not uplifting. Earlier on, as well as in a couple instances deeper into the album, McKnight takes some risks with tracks that contain little more than pattering percussion and twinkling keyboards; here, the sonics are more memorable than the songs, and not much of the album as a whole holds up to repeated listening. Some of McKnight's devoted fanbase will find the album rather fascinating since it's a change of pace, more a collection of loose sketches than a highly polished set.

Entertainment Weekly (p.57) - "He fares better with 'Not Alone,' a spacey ballad that Stevie Wonder might admire." -- Grade: B- Billboard (p.32) - "[B]allads remain his strong suit, especially the moving 'Another You.' It's signature McKnight: just him on the keyboards singing passionate, heartfelt lyrics."

Brian McKnight was one of the key figures in establishing the romantic, ballad-heavy sound that dominated R&B for much of the 1990s. Born in Buffalo, NY, McKnight is the brother of Take 6 founder Claude McKnight, and shares their gospel and jazz influences, even though he's assimilated these into a more overtly commercial style. Over the years, McKnight garnered Grammy nominations by the truckload, and has collaborated with everyone from Nelly to Kirk Franklin, scoring countless hits along the way.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.5