Pillow Talk - Miki Howard
The Chicago-born vocalist Miki Howard burst on the scene in 1987 and showed a lot of promise with her hits “Come Share My Love,” and “Love Under New Management.” She even had the chops to play Billie Holiday in the movie Malcolm X. This radio-friendly release is Howard’s first record since her 2001 CD, Three Wishes. Co-produced by smooth jazz saxophonist Kim Waters and Chris “Big Dog” Davis, Howard’s Aretha Franklin/Mavis Staples-influenced vocals update ten ’70s R&B Quiet Storm classics, from the Tina Turner-inspired Ann Pebbles hit “I Can’t Stand the Rain” and The Captain and Tennille’s “Do That To Me One More Time” to Natalie Cole’s “Inseparable” and Marlena Shaw’s “Go Away Little Boy.” All told, Howard’s husky contralto still coos and grooves, as evidenced by the title track originally made by Sylvia Robinson, and Boz Scaggs’s Blue-eyed soul classic, “Lowdown.” Welcome back, Miki! –Eugene Holley, Jr.
