CHANGE DONE COME

Related Content

• Hip-Hop's Top Ten Aretha Franklin Samples
  February 16, 2012
• Aretha Franklin
  February 15, 2012
• 'Robert Johnson at 100'
  February 22, 2012
• Kelly Clarkson's Seven Best Cover Songs
  November 2, 2011
• Mnemonic Devices to Help You Remember Daylight Savings is Ending
  November 5, 2011

More About

• Aretha Franklin
• Leela James
• Chuck Berry
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Hair Care and Styling

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Events Newsletter: What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

Diminutive L.A. R&B diva-in-the-making Leela James is a bone-black, natural woman—and natural extends, in glorious dimensions, to her rusty Afro bouffant. Over the past 20 years of neo-soul, many sepia diva-lettes have aspired to the hallowed thrones of ReRe, Patti, and especially Chaka, with very mixed results, a lot of oversouling, and dubious pitch correction. But Lil’ Leela loomed large, and well ahead of the pack, with her major-label debut, A Change Is Gonna Come. Times are unkind to real sistas who can sang and rock harder than Chuck Berry’s ax. We still hope that, like Miz Mavis and Bettye LaVette recently did, our gal will triumph over aesthetic compromises, the black generation gap, and the ever-fickle marketplace. Opening for Aretha Franklin.
Sat., Sept. 13, 8 p.m., 2008