Maysa Leak

Maysa Leak (born August 17, 1966 in Baltimore , Maryland ) is an American soul , R&B and jazz singer , mainly known as Maysa .

biography

Leak grew up in the city of her birth, Baltimore. At the age of six she already had the desire to become a singer. During her elementary school and high school years, she took part in choral and musical theater productions. She attended Morgan State University and began writing and recording her own pieces while studying.

At the annual “Billie Holiday Vocal Jazz Contest” in her hometown, Leak took second place. She also worked in Stevie Wonder's vocal group Wonderlove, but only joined Morgan State after graduating and moved with the group to North Hollywood to participate in Wonder's 1991 recordings for the Jungle Fever soundtrack. As part of the film's promotion , she also took part in live and television appearances. To make money, she sang jingles on her days off and worked in local record stores.

In the same year, friend and producer Steve Harvey made contact with Jean-Paul Maunick , the leader of the British band Incognito . Leak then moved to London in 1992 and took part in the recordings of the Incognoto album Tribes Vibes and Scribes , on which the hit Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing is located. She also worked on the recordings for the formation's 1993 album Positivity , but then went back to Baltimore to record her first solo album, Maysa . The record, as well as the extracts What About Our Love? (1995) and Sexy (1996), on the US Billboard R&B charts.

In 1996 she returned to Incognito and sang on the album Beneath the Surface , but also for the neo- blues band Grainger on their album Phase 1 , as well as for Rick Braun , Rachel Z and the jazz radio band Pieces of a Dream . In 1999 the Incognito album No Time Like the Future followed . From 2000 to 2015, Leak was very productive, releasing a total of 11 studio albums, nine of which made it onto the US R&B charts, including All My Life (2000), Out of the Blue (2002) and Smooth Sailing (2004 ). On these plates are influences from R & B , deep house and crossover - Jazz and cover versions of some hits of Sly and the Family Stone , Gil Scott-Heron and Earth, Wind & Fire to hear.

In 2006 Leak signed a contract with the Shanachie Records label . The albums Sweet Classic Soul (2006) and Feel the Fire (2007) that were released there contain cover versions of The Stylistics , Luther Vandross , The Commodores and Evelyn King . This was followed by Metamorphosis (2008), A Woman in Love (2010) and Motions of Love (2011) with mainly new songs from the pen of longtime colleagues such as Rex Rideout, Will Downing , Ledisi and Chris Davis. Blue Velvet Soul (2013) thinks Leak is their best album to date.

In 2014, A Very Maysa Christmas was released , the only Christmas album Leaks to date. Back 2 Love followed in 2015 , with Phil Perry and Mint Conditions Stokley Williams contributing. For the album Love Is a Battlefield , released in May 2017, she sang cover versions of The Isley Brothers , Luther Vandross , Natalie Cole and Pat Benatar, among others .

Discography

See also : Incognito (band) / discography

Albums

year	Title music label	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes)			Remarks
		US	R&B	jazz
1995	Maysa Blue Thumb 7001	-	R&B64 (4 weeks) R&B	-	First published: August 29, 1995 Producers: Barry Eastmond, Ray Hayden, Richard Bull
2000	All My Life Rice 4209	-	R&B88 (2 weeks) R&B	jazz11 (28 weeks) jazz	First published: March 21, 2000 Executive Producer: Jean-Paul Maunick , Stephen King
2002	Out of the Blue N-Coded Music 4233	-	-	jazz10 (39 weeks) jazz	First published: March 15, 2002 Producer: Rex Rideout
2004	Smooth Sailing N-Coded Music 4251	-	R&B61 (4 weeks) R&B	jazz15 (20 weeks) jazz	First published: July 21, 2004 Executive Producer: Adam Levy, Maysa Leak, Rex Rideout
2006	Sweet Classic Soul Shanachie 5136	-	R&B48 (6 weeks) R&B	-	First published: February 21, 2006 Producer: Chris Davis, Maysa
2007	Feel the Fire Shanachie 5151	-	R&B30 (5 weeks) R&B	-	First published: May 22nd, 2007 Producer: Chris Davis, Maysa
2008	Metamorphosis Shanachie 5167	US176 (1 week) US	R&B13 (7 weeks) R&B	jazz3 (26 weeks) jazz	First published: October 14, 2008 Producers: Maysa Leak, Lorenzo Johnson
2010	A Woman in Love Shanachie 5181	-	R&B70 (6 weeks) R&B	jazz7 (28 weeks) jazz	First released: January 26th, 2010 Producers: Chris Davis, Maysa Leak, John Jones
2011	The Very Best of Maysa N-Coded Music	-	-	jazz43 (1 week) jazz	First published: March 29, 2011 compilation
2011	Motions of Love Shanachie 5191	-	R&B41 (1 week) R&B	jazz5 (15 weeks) jazz	First released: November 8, 2011 Producers: Chris Davis, Maysa Leak, Charles Baldwin
2013	Blue Velvet Soul Shanachie 5406	-	R&B32 (7 weeks) R&B	jazz5 (41 weeks) jazz	First published: June 18, 2013 Producers: Jean-Paul Maunick , Maysa Leak, Lorenzo Johnson
2014	A Very Maysa Christmas Shanachie 5422	-	-	jazz20 (7 weeks) jazz	First released: October 28, 2014 Producer: Chris "Big Dog" Davis, Maysa Leak
2015	Back 2 Love Shanachie 5434	-	R&B21 (1 week) R&B	jazz9 (14 weeks) jazz	First published: May 26, 2015 Producers: Chris Davis, Maysa Leak, Lorenzo Johnson
2017	Love Is a Battlefield Shanachie	-	-	jazz3 (18 weeks) jazz	Initial release: May 16, 2017 Producer: Chris Davis

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)	Remarks
		R&B
1995	What About Our Love? Maysa	R&B51 (13 weeks) R&B	First published: August 1995 Saxophone: Patrick Clahar Authors: Byron Stingily , Phillip Temple, Rex Rideout
1996	Sexy Maysa	R&B83 (9 weeks) R&B	First published: January 1996 Backing Vocals: Siedah Garrett Authors: Robbie Nevil , Siedah Garrett, Steve Dubin

More singles

• 2000: The Bottle
• 2002: Family Affair (feat.Jazoulster)
• 2002: Simple Life (Promo)
• 2006: Runnin ' (May 27th)
• 2006: I'm Changing (Cafe Soul All Stars feat.Maysa)
• 2014: Forever (as Marcell & Maysa, with Marcell Russell; release: August 29)

swell

1. ↑ ^{a b} Chart sources: US

Web links

• Maysa Leak at Allmusic (English)
• Maysa Leak at Discogs (English)