P J Morton - New Orleans (2013)

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    How does a song become an event planner’s dream? Does an artist say that he or she is going to make a song such as “We’ve Only Just Begun” or “You and I” with the intent of making sure the tune will be available for the wedding season? Or did the betrothed nation reach the simultaneous conclusion that “Here and Now” will be the wedding song of 1989?  And how about those songs that become the ones that couples select for their first dance? Does an artist try to make a song a reception song? Whether by accident or design, PJ Morton’s “Only One “ can be this year’s nominee for first dance.  The song is one of several candidates for radio play on Morton’s latest album New Orleans.

    How does a song become an event planner’s dream? Does an artist say that he or she is going to make a song such as “We’ve Only Just Begun” or “You and I” with the intent of making sure the tune will be available for the wedding season? Or did the betrothed nation reach the simultaneous conclusion that “Here and Now” will be the wedding song of 1989?  And how about those songs that become the ones that couples select for their first dance? Does an artist try to make a song a reception song? Whether by accident or design, PJ Morton’s “Only One “ can be this year’s nominee for first dance.  The song is one of several candidates for radio play on Morton’s latest album New Orleans.

    Considering that Morton also cut a great video featuring a bunch a beautiful 20 and 30 something’s dressed to the nines and having fun at a reception, it’s safe to assume that Morton hopes that “Only One” to become a wedding season anthem. I’m going to do my part to help. My cousin jumps the broom in mid June and if she and her groom have yet to pick a song for their first dance, I’m lobbying hard for “Only One.”  This song has just about everything from a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder to Morton’s soaring, Wonder like vocals and lyrics that sound like a groom’s toast to his bride set to music played by the best wedding band ever.

    Morton has been busy since we his last full album, 2010’s Walk Alone. He’s currently serving as Maroon 5’s version of Billy Preston. Morton’s mission is to add some of the black Baptist Church to a pop/rock band that already had more than bit of soul.  We see how that effort works when Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine joins Morton on the cut “Heavy.” This song owes a great deal of debt to the cadences of the church both in terms of the musical arrangement and the thematic content. Guitarist James Valentine’s guitar licks throw a nod in the direction of Sister Rosetta Tharp. Morton uses his left hand to give his keyboard that church organ sound, while the lyrics tell the story of a person who needs help to bear a heavy yoke.

    Morton has clearly been influenced by Wonder, and he was probably thrilled that the Motown legend agreed to contribute his harmonica playing to “Only One.” Morton, like Wonder, is a multi-instrumentalist. In addition to playing the keyboard, Morton also plays the drums and does the drum programming. Morton and Wonder also have similar vocal range and vocal nuances. Morton uses that fact to his advantage on the “Always Be” – a song that would have been right at home Talking Book or Music on My Mind. On this cut, he works to convince his lover that his love remains constant and strong despite life’s daily grind. “I heard you say that I don’t look at you the same/but even though we have our rough days nothing’s changed/I’m still the man /you’re still the girl that I fell for/So don’t you let those evil thoughts in your head anymore/No matter how dark it gets/or cloudy/you’re still the sunshine in my day/and it will always be that way/don’t worry/when it seems too hard/don’t give up/Cuz We will find our way/and it will always be that way.”

    Morton is known to a younger generation of music fans as the keyboard player for Maroon Five. They don’t know that he’s basically a preacher’s kid, and that his musical and moral grounding comes from the church and his father – Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr.  Morton opens the album with the title track, which begins and ends with Bishop Morton’s voice introducing a piano solo by his then eight-year old son. That song, “New Orleans,” finds PJ longing for the purity and idealism that is often snuffed out due business considerations.

    PJ returns to that theme on “Go Alone,” a song influenced by the elder Morton’s church teaching. The song is also draws inspiration from the musical choices Morton made during his career, such as making secular rather than religious music, playing keyboards for a rock band or embarking on a rough-side-of-the-mountain career as an indie soul artist. Morton rarely if ever follows the crowd. “Go Alone” makes it clear that Morton constantly questions those choices even as he is compelled to remain true to his convictions.  “I want the world to sing along/but I’m not sure I can afford the cost/without getting lost/I know there is an easy way/but I’m not sure I’m willing to play/I’m not so good at this game.”

    Some might ask why is this R&B guy from New Orleans playing with a bunch of rockers from LA? But Morton has not sold out.  The pop and rock licks that Morton incorporates into his repertoire have only enhanced New Orleans, and it listeners get the opportunity and privilege to see an artist who is learning, growing and evolving. The self-described “preacher’s kid” continues to develop into one of the most interesting and talented artists on the soul music landscape. Highly Recommended.

    By Howard Dukes