Songs In A Minor CD

MUSIC

R&B / SOUL

SOUL

Song Listing

Disc 1

Song Title

1. Piano & I ~ Alicia Keys

2. Girlfriend ~ Alicia Keys

3. How Come You Don't Call Me ~ Alicia Keys

4. Fallin' ~ Alicia Keys

5. Troubles ~ Alicia Keys

6. Rock Wit U - (with Isaac Hayes) ~ Alicia Keys

7. Woman's Worth, A ~ Alicia Keys

8. Jane Doe ~ Alicia Keys

9. Goodbye ~ Alicia Keys

10. Life, The ~ Alicia Keys

11. Mr. Man - (with Jimmy Cozier) ~ Alicia Keys

12. Never Felt This Way ~ Alicia Keys

13. Butterflyz ~ Alicia Keys

14. Why Do I Feel So Sad ~ Alicia Keys

15. Caged Bird ~ Alicia Keys

16. Loving U ~ Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys was an accomplished pianist by age 15. In late 1999, she followed Clive Davis to his J Records where she continues to chart her arrival to the music world. Songs In A Minor shows signs of both a critical and commercial monster - a deep, melodic, soulful gem of an album that showcases Alicia in all her universal glory. Though most of the album- including the luminous "Fallin'" and the moving "Troubles" - was written and produced by Alicia Keys, the artist collaborates with Jermaine Dupri on "Girlfriend" and with Isaac Hayes on "Rock Wit U" from the Shaft soundtrack.

"Many young female singers court the tweenie market by exaggerating their girlish charms, but twenty-year-old Alicia Keys sings for adults. ...we're only beginning to see the depth of her talent. Harry Thomas, Rolling Stone

Album Notes and Credits

Notes & Personnel Info
	Personnel: Alicia Keys (vocals, various instruments, piano, keyboards); Jimmy Cozier (vocals): Gerald "G" Flowers, Arty White (guitar); Miri (violin); Isaac Hayes (Fender Rhodes piano); Brian Cox (keyboards); Richie Good (upright bass); Tim Shider, Vic Flowers, Rufus Jackson (electric bass); Norman Hedman (percussion); Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Anthony Nance (programming); Cindy Mizelle, Tammy Saunders, Andricka Hall, Paul L. Green, Kandi B (background vocals).
	Producers: Jermaine Dupri, Brian McKnight, Alicia Keys, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers.
	Alicia Keys won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. SONGS IN A MINOR won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. "Fallin'" won the 2002 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best R&B Song.
	Personnel: Alicia Keys (vocals, piano, keyboards, background vocals); Arty White, Cato (guitar); Isaac Hayes (Fender Rhodes piano); John Peters (organ); Brian Cox (keyboards); Richie Goods (acoustic bass, electric bass); Norman Hedman (percussion); Kerry Brothers, Anthony Nance (drum programming); Cindy Mizelle, Kandi Burruss, Paul Green, Andricka Hall (background vocals).
	Audio Mixers: Manny Marroquin; Gerry "The Gov" Brown; Phil Tan; Russell Elevado; Tony Maserati .
	Audio Remixer: Alicia Keys.
	Recording information: Backroom Studios, Glendale, CA; Battery Sounds, New York, NY; Battery Studios, New York, NY; Doppler Studio, Atlanta, GA; Hit Factory, New York, NY; KrucialKeys Studios, New York, NY; SouthSide Studios, Atlanta, GA; The Hit Factory, New York, NY; Unique Recording Studios, New York, NY.
	Photographer: Tony Duran .
	Unknown Contributor Role: Tim Shider.
	Arrangers: Kandi; Kandi Burruss; Alicia Keys.
Engineer: Kerry Brothers; Gerry "The Gov" Brown; Brian Frye; Acar S. Key; Chris Wood; Rick St. Hilaire
Musical Guests
	Isaac Hayes
	Jimmy Cozier

Artist Overview

Precocious R&B vocalist/pianist Alicia Keys was hand-picked by Clive Davis as one of the flagship artists for his post-Arista label, J Records. No doubt he was as impressed by her multitude of skills (Keys took a large role in the writing, arranging, and production of her debut album) as by her music, which mates contemporary hip-hop accoutrements to an old-school soul sensibility ? la Jill Scott or D'Angelo. Only 20 years old at the time of the album's release, Keys already seemed poised for a major career built upon her soulful voice and classically trained piano chops. While hip-hop played a much bigger role on her sophomore effort, 2003's THE DIARY OF ALICIA KEYS, it was a smash nonetheless, and subsequent recordings have further pushed the boundaries of R&B.

Compilation Appearances

	Absolute Body + Soul
	Confessions (Special Edition)
	GLORY ROAD / O.S.T.
	Djin Djin
	Backyardigans:born To Play
	Now That's What I Call Music Vol 27
	Quantum Of Solace
	The Best Of NOW That's What I Call Music - 10th Anniversary Edition
	Blueprint 3(Explicit Version)
	Blueprint 3
	Sex And The City 2 (Soundtrack)
	Hits Collection Volume One(Explicit Version)
	Hits Collection Volume One(Explicit Version)
	In The Style Of Usher
	Coleccion Definitiva
	Coleccion Definitiva
	12 12 12:Concert For Sandy Relief
	Paraiso Express

Associated Artists and Works

	Arneson, Mark
	Eve (Rap)
	White, Jack
	White, Jack (White Stripes)

Technical Info

	Release Date : 06/26/2001
	Original Release Date : 2001
	Catalog ID : 80813200022
	Label : J Records
	Number of Discs : 1
	Studio/Live : Studio
	Mono/Stereo : Stereo
	SPAR Code : n/a
	UPC : 00808132000222

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.74)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "With her classically trained voice and keyboard chops, Keys reintroduced the idea of a self-reliant R&B singer-songwriter -- a type that stretches back to Stevie Wonder."

Rolling Stone (1/03/02, p.118)
- Ranked #2 in Rolling Stone's "Top 10 2001".

Rolling Stone (7/19/01, p.53)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...Keys shows a maturity beyond her years...suggesting down-home R&B contemporaries like Jill Scott as well as yesteryear's soul sophisticates..."

Entertainment Weekly (6/29-7/6/01, p.144)
- "...A debut full of promise..." - Rating: B

Q (1/03, p.56)
- Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever"

Q (9/01, p.110)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...A prime candidate to head up the nu-soul revolution...with a voice that challenges Mary J. Blige's....Key's R&B trips to a fundamentally more old-skool set of values....Her sincerity is another plus..."

Uncut (11/01, p.112)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...Frequently stunning....Keys soars like a young Aretha Franklin..."

CMJ (4/30/01, p.21)
- "...The singer showcases her classical piano training atop slow and somber percussion...her deep soulful voice and heartfelt delivery carry the songs..."

Mojo (Publisher)
(1/02, p.71)
- Ranked #27 in Mojo's "Best [40] Albums of 2001".

Record Collector (magazine)
(p.96)
- 3 stars out of 5 -- "SONGS IN A MINOR has dated well -- cuts the likes of 'Fallin'' and 'A Woman's Worth' still sound fresh."

Bio

The artistic light of Alicia Keys is so bright it could illuminate a pitch-black room. A true musical prodigy whose multi-dimensional gifts emerged at age five, the beautiful Alicia is taking modern R&B soul to a whole new level at the tender age of nineteen. Born aware of her old soul yet living in New York's inner city amidst the dominance of Biggie and Jay Z, Alicia's natural talents blossomed into a rare mix of hip-hop flavor and insightful, wise-beyond-her-years songwriting. Coupling this with the singer's spine-tingling vocal power, positively stirring live performances and expertise as a classically trained pianist, Alicia Keys could be this generation's Roberta Flack.

Highly sought-after by record labels that held good, old-fashioned bidding wars in her honor, Alicia signed to Arista Records in 1998. There she continued the process of writing, producing and recording the debut she'd begun penning at age 14. In late 1999, Alicia followed Clive Davis to his new J Records where she continues to chart her arrival to the music world. Creations now rising out of the studio show signs of both a critical and commercial monster--a deep, melodic, soulful gem of an album that showcases Alicia in all her universal glory. Born and raised in Manhattan, the stunning, bi-racial Alicia Keys recognizes a number of influences including her ultra-supportive mother who told her "You can quit anything else but you can never give up on your piano lessons." Alicia also sites a teacher at the Professional Performance Arts School in Manhattan who, while she was majoring in Choir, gave her valuable instruction on her voice. "This teacher spent so much time with me, she became the closest thing to vocal training I received," Alicia recalls.

At age 16, Alicia's outstanding grades allowed her to finish high school early. "I was so deeply involved in music, I had already outgrown all the pressure of high school cliques and gossip." Right out of high school, Columbia University accepted Alicia Keys and though she gave it a whirl, the desire to focus on music was the driving force over all else.