By special request – PJ Morton – Gumbo

Recently my daughter’s coworkers requested that I review Rihanna’s Anti. I assumed they found it amusing to have a senior citizen study a contemporary pop star. I appreciated the challenge as it got me out of my dad-rock bubble. The Rihanna review went well enough that I encouraged more challenges like this. A few weeks later another one of my daughter’s coworkers suggested PJ Morton’s 2017 Gumbo.

Unlike Rihanna’s Anti, Gumbo immediately resonated with me. I approached Gumbo suspiciously because when I googled PJ I learned he was a member of Maroon 5. Maroon 5 is not my jam.

My first impression of the album was how much it evoked classic R&B. PJ sounds like a combination of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince, and D’Angelo. Gumbo is funky, jazzy, and on the quiet storm spectrum of R&B. Lyrically, there are themes of romance, politics, and autobiography. This is a genre that seriously resonates with me. It has a Soulquarians vibe.

My first listens were very positive. But with repeated listens I got more blasé about the album. The album is well executed and checks a lot of my musical boxes, however, it sounds too much like its influences – PJ doesn’t make it his own. D’Angelo’s Voodoo is my gold standard for reinventing classic R&B, Gumbo is good but is well short of a masterpiece like Voodoo. I am glad my daughter’s friend turned me on to Gumbo, but I doubt it will stick with me. One exception is PJ’s cool cover of the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love” – that will be on my playlists for years to come.