LYFE JENNINGS

The evolution of Lyfe Jennings was bound to happen. With his authentic, soulful voice, innovative, creative style and undeniable talent, Lyfe is ready for a change. He has grown and his latest album proves it. Brand New, which is slated to be released late this year, features Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and Wyclef Jean. Lyfe admits that he didn't do a lot of planning for the album, which is definitely hard to tell from its exquisitely written ballads, melodic beats and the remarkable vibe of the entire album. "I wanted Brand New to be a fly album. I just went in the studio and just liked kicked it and came up with the songs."

DEBORAH COX

If you think you've figured out where Deborah Cox fits into today's music scene, you've got some more figuring to do. Having conquered the pop and R&B charts as another of ace record executive Clive Davis' discoveries and starred on Broadway in Elton John's and Tim Rice's "Aida," the 32-year-old Toronto-born singer/actress now takes a leap into something entirely different. She has paid effusive tribute to a childhood idol of hers, the beloved, troubled Dinah Washington, on her new Decca debut album, Destination Moon, that will surprise her fans and catapult her into the ranks of the leading jazz singers of our time.

ELDAR

With the release of Re-Imagination, his third CD for Sony BMG Masterworks, jazz pianist Eldar documents his transition from youthful prodigy to a creative artist with something to say. The release follows the 2006 CD Live at the Blue Note, which featured Eldar and his working trio with jazz trumpeters Chris Botti and Roy Hargrove as guest artists, and cemented Eldar's position as one of the most formidable jazz musicians of his generation." This is the first record I've done where I focus more on composition than playing standards or working in the standard setting of a trio," says Eldar. "Unlike anything I've done in the past, it's a very personal statement rather focusing on a certain tradition or vibe, or on genres or labels."

CHAKA KHAN

Say the name "Chaka" and most folks in the know instantly think of a woman who has made an indelible and lasting impression on the music scene of the past three decades. Seldom has that been more evident than on the aptly-named FUNK THIS, in some ways a return to her musical roots with Rufus, a glorious collaboration with the super hitmaking team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It's the album that many a Chaka fan will instantly say they've been waiting for, a tough'n'earthy showcase for the gritty, in-your-face sound that first attracted the solid and loyal audience that have been with Chaka "through the fire", through the ups and downs and ins and outs of a career filled with accomplishment, achievement and, as she herself admits, its share of highs and lows.

J. HOLIDAY

J. Holiday set about forging his own identity; a four-song demo landed him, fittingly, on Capitol Records. Those seedlings sprouted into his full-grown debut, Back of My 'Lac. Though the record sports the requisite club-pleasers and woman-teasers, J.Holiday has brought an unexpected edge to R&B music. He bears, proudly and boldly, a street sensibility and bravado normally reserved for hip-hop. J. Holiday is an intriguingly paradoxical figure, equal parts soldier, student, scion, and sage. Fortunately for listeners, the preacher's son has chosen R&B as his preferred pulpit and the airwaves as his congregation. "You don't have to listen to me, but I'm just trying to let you know of another perspective." That perspective, arriving with the fury of a burning bush, is sure to inspire converts. Rejoice in the Holiday season.

SUZANNE VEGA

Suzanne Vega has always been an adventurous artist, stretching the boundaries of the singer-songwriter format. When British producers DNA famously remixed her "Tom's Diner," giving the originally a cappella tune an ongoing life as a sought-after sample by many dance music and hip hop artists, they were simply responding to something Vega herself had done: "They felt the rhythm was already in the song and they just added to it. When I approved it, I felt that they'd expressed a part of my life that I was not able to do for myself at the time."

On Beauty & Crime, Suzanne Vega's Blue Note Records debut, the Manhattan native uses New York City as the backdrop for a collection of eleven new songs that juxtapose acoustic guitar-driven melodies with coolly synthesized beats; intensely personal lyrics with compelling, short story-like narratives; images of today's scarred cityscape with memories of Vega's old Upper West Side 'hood and Lower East Side haunts.

JAVIER

With the release of his self-titled debut in 2003, newcomer Javier proved himself a welcome addition to the canon of intriguing R&B singers. Indeed, not since Babyface has there been an artist who could write and sing beautifully crafted songs as well as throw down with an acoustic guitar and do it all with such pureness. "I like to be versatile with the styles of music I do but I try to keep it true to the genre while stretching it at the same time. A lot of record companies don't allow an artist to have that kind of creative freedom, so I consider myself one of the lucky ones."

A musical prodigy in his formative years, Javier's musical gifts took him to the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music, where he founded an R&B based acappella quintet that performed at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater. Javier graduated from Hartt with a degree in Music Education, and soon afterwards he started on his path as a world-class performer as the lead singer for a neo-funk group (called EmCQ) dedicated to the legacy of Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Maceo Parker and Tower of Power among others. "Being in that band really helped me grow vocally. I had never actually fronted a band or done anything like that before. I found another gear that I could kick into that I didn't know I had," he says.

ISRAEL AND THE NEW BREED

In 1995, Israel and Meleasa Houghton along with Aaron Lindsay founded New Breed Ministries, an organization comprised of noted musicians and singers who serve within their respective churches and together serve the Church at large. Although their popularity had been growing steadily since the group's inception, they were catapulted into the limelight during 2005 with the release of their gold-certified CD Live From Another Level. They followed this success with two others - - the release of Alive in South Africa in late 2005 and A Timeless Christmas released in the fall of 2006. The accolades continued to flow including Dove Awards, Stellar Awards, a Soul Train Award and multiple GRAMMY Award nominations. All the while, this dedicated group of ministers continues to tour extensively and to serve at their local churches.

TRIN-I-TEE 5:7

Trin-i-tee 5:7 knows about facing the storms of life. The group, comprised of Chanelle Haynes, Angel Taylor & Adrian Anderson, had to hold on to their faith as two of the girls' native New Orleans was submerged in 2005 due to the ravaging effects of Hurricane Katrina. Now that gospel's best-selling female trio has weathered the storm, they're back with a brand new project, T57, and the challenge not only has made them stronger, but the maturity of the songbirds is reflected in their new musical collection.

KEVIN MICHAEL

With an irresistible blend of soul, funk, r&b and pop Kevin Michael conjures up greats from the past while bringing something totally new to the game; extending the tradition of r&b while imagining it anew. His Downtown Records self-titled debut is the sound of a prodigy staking his claim to the throne, music that serves as an announcement to the world that a phenom has arrived. "I don't know where I begin and the music stops," exclaims Kevin. With a stunning debut, Kevin Michael, ready to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting music public, the young soul man with the brimming confidence is ready to take his vision on the road and to the next level: "I'm going to tie everything together. Be Mr. Global, Mr. Universe. I've got the hit songs to do it - and wait till you see my show!"

DEEMI

Singer/songwriter Tahu "Deemi" Aponte doesn't need special effects to lure listeners in - instead, she relies on truth, drawing from her own remarkable life experience to pen vividly descriptive, emotionally charged lyrics. With her soaring, visceral vocals, Deemi makes songs weep with anguish, shiver with anticipation, throb with anger, and glimmer with hope. Every song is a confessional, a page torn from her diary - and together they form her extraordinary debut album, "Soundtrack Of My Life".

CARL ALLEN/RODNEY WHITAKER QUINTET

Drummer Carl Allen and bassist Rodney Whitaker - masters of tone and tempo - are accomplished musicians, respected educators and music visionaries. With combined credits of nearly 200 recordings as sidemen and nine CDs as leaders, "Get Ready" features this dynamic duo in a superb collaboration with pianist Cyrus Chestnut, guitarist Rodney Jones, organist Doresy "Rob" Robinson, and saxophonist Steve Wilson. Showcasing original material, in addition to stirring renditions of Motown and contemporary gospel-associated compositions, "Get Ready" is music with the heart of New York, the soul of Detroit and a sound all its own.

BRUCE HORNSBY TRIO

"I've spent my entire life combating closed-mindedness in music as well as the lack of an adventurous spirit," says Hornsby, a musical omnivore who cites a variety of influences from Samuel Barber and Charles Ives to jazz pianists Keith Jarrett and Bud Powell. "Just like all my music, this jazz album is coming from a natural place in me."

Hornsby's debut solo jazz recording was recently released, "Camp Meeting", is a potent and spirited collection of instrumental performances steeped in improvisation with the pianist in the company of two of jazz's most esteemed musicians, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Jack DeJohnette.