Music on CD

The title track, "I Feel for You" was a cover of a 1979 Prince track, featuring Grandmaster Melle Mel on the classic "Ch-ch-ch-chaka-chaka-chaka Khan" rap intro and Stevie Wonder on chromatic harmonica (and also a sample from one of his first hits, "Fingertips.") Besides the title track's meteoric impact were nine other fantastic songs. Any album as dominated by dance tracks as 'I Feel For You' is usually brought to an unqualified dead end by its obligatory ballads, but both "Stronger Than Before" (Bacharach-Bayer-Sager) and "Through The Fire" legitimate high points in Chaka's solo career. A real classic feel to this album and it still sounds fresh.

James Brown: Collected [3 CD]

Mother's Finest: Another Mother Further [CD]

Voices such as Donny Hathaway's come along maybe once a decade. Before his brief but influential career was cut short by suicide in 1979, Hathaway proved himself a maestro of protest soul who effused equal amounts of political anger and romantic tenderness. Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free" became something of a black national anthem, and his 1969 hit "The Ghetto" is a pan-black bottom hit that resonates to this day. 'These Songs for You, Live!' displays the passion and charm that have inspired artists from Alicia Keys to D'Angelo. And what emerges most is Hathaway's irrepressible charisma and talent. In his hands, even "Yesterday" became a blues lament nonpareil.

Tagg Erik: Rendez-Vous [CD]

Turner Ike & Tina: River Deep - Mountain High [CD]

Sheila E: Glamorous Life [CD]