BROADCASTS.com

Published: Feb. 7, 2021, 3:29 p.m.

King Solomon Hicks grew up in Harlem \u201caround a lot of great musicians.\u201d That certainly shows on HARLEM, an 11-song salute to those roots \u2014 and how the 24-year-old guitarist and singer has turned them into his own fierce and distinctive style over the years.

\n

The set, produced by multiple Grammy Award winner Kirk Yano (Miles Davis, Public Enemy,  Mariah Carey), showcases Hicks as a writer, player and interpreter. Originals such as the roadhouse ready \u201c421 South Main,\u201d the gospel shuffle of \u201cHave Mercy on Me\u201d and the aching instrumental \u201cRiverside Drive\u201d rub musical elbows with staples such as \u201cEvery Day I Sing the Blues\u201d and \u201cIt\u2019s Alright,\u201d a Latin-tinged take on Blood, Sweat & Tears\u2019 \u201cI Love You More Than You Will Ever Know,\u201d a funked-up romp through Gary Wright\u2019s \u201cLove is Alive\u201d and a searing rendition of Sonny Boy Williamson\u2019s \u201cHelp me\u201d that closes the album.

\n

Hicks\u2019 playing and singing shine throughout HARLEM, blending reverent familiar with vigorous fresh, the work of an artist deeply rooted in blues birthed decades before him but equally invested in finding his own way of playing it. Yes, every day he sings the blues, but in a manner only Hicks himself can.

\n

\u201cThis has been a long time coming,\u201d Hicks says of his first major recording, \u201cbut I\u2019m really happy with the sound and the way everybody played. This music is where I come from. It\u2019s really special to be able to record these songs \u2014 and really important to get \u2019em right.\u201d

\n

Hicks has been steeped in music for as long as he can remember. Harlem, he says, \u201cis not like New Orleans, where music is 24 hours a day \u2014 but it\u2019s close.\u201d His father and mother played music at home constantly. His mother also took him, as a youth, to local nightspots such as the Lennox Lounge, Saint Nick\u2019s and the Cotton Club, where Hicks witnessed performances that made a significant impact on his outlet and ambitions. \u201cWhen you\u2019re around good musicians, it gives you that spark \u2014 \u2018I want to do what you do. I want to hold my own,'\u201d says Hicks, who started playing guitar when he was six years old. \u201cBut being around those types of musicians also taught me to NOT be the fastest guitar player. I wanted to be the one who knew the most riffs and drew on a lot of knowledge so I could play anything, and with anyone.\u201d

\n

@kingsolomonhicks

\n

https://youtu.be/tVBM6rdX_84

\n

@iamvirtuousdiva

\n\n--- \n\nSend in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/virtuousdivacompany/message