Rob Bess

Bay Area RnB artist Rob Bess has released his flagship new single and corresponding video, "Nookie" The song is a true rhythm-and-blues romance that croons to the tune of a crisp, rolling back beat. Bess' lyrics are flawless and tight, his rhymes timely and witty, his diction as fitting to each word's line as a custom-tailored suit. The music runs in the background like a cool forest stream - excellent on the ear but unobtrusive - and the combination of the thudding beat, the crystalline keyboard chords, the disco-suggestive bass lines, and the poetry of Bess himself, is a thing of beauty at which jazz fans will smile, nod, and groove.

There is much greatness in this little single (it plays out approximately three minutes long - first-time listeners will almost certainly hit 'repeat' twice or three times). There is something of Miles Davis in it, and something of Shakespeare, too, and not merely because the James-Calhoun directed video closes with a quote from "Romeo and Juliet," either. Rob Bess is not just a master of rhyme and meter, but also of alliteration, repetition, assonance, and other such techniques - let lesser poets look the terms up themselves. His breathless yet commanding, hushed yet arresting style lies somewhere between the heart of Chet Baker and the soul of Prince. The effect is an infectious, razor-sharp and almost spooky tone that any RnB fan will deeply respect, and a tune any music fan would love to hear cropping up on the turntable at the local club.

Rob Bess' bio says his "evolution has taken him down some dark roads and through some rough places to, as we say, 'find himself.' But with this new offering he has realized his place in the universe, has planted his feet, and is ready to grow. This album is full of consciousness, passion, and emotionally driven content that will make you lend an ear to what Bess is trying to convey."

At the very least it must be presumed that Bess is trying to convey some exceptionally orchestrated and phenomenally well-written music. Lending an ear to that will prove edifying to even the most jaded music listener. As his bio also boldly states, "Rob Bess has arrived."


(expired link)
mrrobbess@(expired link)



movin up the charts!!!!

R&B 4 SOUL!!!