The new decade seems to be easing into the return of the sultry, love making, spiritual awakening, mind blowing rhythm evoking, heartfelt blues releasing that was the soul of 90’s R&B. We are being forced to get back to love whether we like it or not & it couldn’t come at a better time. Just when I was giving up on ever hearing the powerful soulful voices with real messages in their lyrics without the extra Beyonce booty bounce, the autotune, the must have senseless “great is me” rap on every song & the Mariah- I don’t want to grow up…I want to be a coquettish pin up toy’s r us kid forever monotony in music, in comes Maxwell, Mary J. Blige, Sade, Corinne Bailey Rae, Nneka, India Irie, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Hudson, Esperanza Spaulding, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Jaheim & now Groove Theory.

What is a music lover to do, but scream from the mountain top in elation while going broke on the purchase of beautiful much awaited return to life, return to soul type of music that has been missing in the last decade. Dare I ask for the return of the Fugees or just Lauryn Hill? Dare I ask for the return of Floetry & Black Star? Dare I go across the pond & bring back Soul II Soul, Eurythmics & Loose Ends? Dare I ask for a new album from Me’Shell Ndegéocello, Anthony Hamilton, Mary Mary & Yolanda Adams just to send my spirit on overload with praises to the most high & a feeling of jubilation that only soul filled music can bring? As Robert Nester Marley said “One good thing about music once it hits u, u feel no pain.. so hit me with music…brutalize me with music”, but only the best of the best, which is what this new decade is bringing & OMG I am so very thankful!

For all of you who do not know sultry songbird Amel Larrieux & super producer/actor, Bryce Wilson, AKA collectively known as Groove Theory, you must have been too young or too old, or in another universe where great music was not allowed in the 90’s when the genre of R&B was king! Many have labeled the group as a one hit wonder with their super haute, chart topping, defining a time & era song, “Tell Me”; however, Groove Theory had many more great songs that just didn’t get as much radio play.

After offcially breaking up in 1999, Amel Larrieux went on to bless us with more beautiful music as a solo artist & even appeared with Sweetback on one of my favorite songs of all time, “You will Rise”!

Bryce Wilson tried to hold the group together, but realized that there was no replacing the beauty, voice & distinctive Groove Theory sound that was authentically Amel Larrieux. Bryce went on to produce other lovely songbirds like Toni Braxton & even appeared as the man candy in her video along with testing out his acting chops in Hollywood in films such as “Beauty Shop”.