I was listening to Herb Kent's R&B dusties show this morning and remarking how one song after the other had really GREAT male singers. Even the most obscure songs showcased tenors, falsettos, etc. For example the battle of the best was Teddy P. vs. Al Green and it was one solid vocal performance after the next.

In the last ten years, which singers have had great ranges? Maxwell is excellent. Robin Thicke is ok, but he seems to struggle in the higher register as does Musiq. Rahsaan Patterson has a great voice to me as well. However, are there any real falsettos or tenors out there now?

I admit that I don't know a lot of the Pop/R&B acts now beyond the most well known ones. In all honesty, I have a hard time classifying them or identifying their ranges. For example, I don't know how to classify someone like Chris Brown, Jamie Foxx or T-Pain. Where would you put them?

The young guys you mentioned like Chris Brown & T-Pain can't really sing in my opinion. Has anyone ever heard T-Pain without the vodocorder? (sp) Jamie Foxx has a nice tone but his range is limited. Musiq is kind of "hit or miss" - I've seen him live 3x and I guess depending upon which leg of the tour it is, he's been great and he's been horrible.

Great falsettos are definitely Maxwell, Rahsaan, Kevin Powell (kind of out of the mix) and Kenny Latimore.

One young guy who I really love & whose range is incredible both in tenor & falsetto is Anthony Hamilton. His music is r&b - he doesn't utilize hip hop elements in his music as much as the others.

I'm also still patiently waiting for D'Angelo's return

My fav from today's music are:

Maxwell
Bilal
Anthony Hamilton
Raheem DeVaughn

Bilal & Rahsaan are really dope
I love D'Angelo as well....

the average listener is
programmed to like all
that shit with the snap beats
and 808's and the.. the...
(it hurts me to even type it)
the AUTOTUNE!!!

but the underground is the real deal
the game really needs "my voice"
if I could be totally honest about it
it needs a lil work perhaps
but it still sounds unique (in my ears)

I'm a soul singer though
I wouldn't consider my stuff R&B
hip hop soul maybe

I believe I'd have to do something else though
if I wanna make any $$$ in the industry
and I refuse...

missfee said:

Oh, I forgot about Bilal. He's got a great voice and I really dig a lot of his stuff. However, his concert is the only one I have ever walked out on. He was on something crazy the night I saw him. Even the band was looking at him at times like WTF.

Anthony Hamilton has a great voice as well. I haven't paid much attention to Raheem DeVaughn, but from what I heard, he sounds good. However, are any of these guys considered "young" by music industry standards? Are there any good "young" singers?
[Edited 7/20/09 16:43pm]

What about Jaheim? IMO, of the newer crop, he is the best male R&B singer in the business. Very under-rated, though.

kitbradley said:

Well if you like him, u sure are entitled, but I think Jaheim is the opposite, very over-rated. He's a Teddy P. wanna be, and reminds me of Lyfe Jennings, they both sing like they are taking a shit on the toilet.

Whiners and screamers the lot of them.

When people speak of vocal range that's not all that makes a good singer... it's called musicianship. That's why Rev. Green and Teddy P. sound so amazing. You kinda have to know what to do with those notes, lyrics, and how they fit around and with the music. It helps also when the artist puts in the work to develope their own sound. Funny, didn't hear about the producers of their albums back in the day did we?

Really ? Ya feel there are whiners and screamers in my posts lol ?

TD3 said:

Yes, but this thread *is* about vocal ranges

Alej said:

Alej, I don't think you can separate the two. Either you have the complete package or you have manure.

TD3 said:

Yes, you can.

Alej said:

I don't think so. If the arranging/material/music/muscianship isn't up to snuff I don't care what type of voice, range, or whatever you have.. I'm not going to hear it. As Diana Ross said, "People think you just open up you mouth and just start singing, it's not as simple as that". I agree. I don't care what genre of singing you do.

To be fair, I think the institutions (such as the Black Church) and the Black community who use to nutured and support those budding talents, don't exist nor operate as they once did. The music industry no longer allows artist/singers the time to develope their voice/music either. (IMHO)
[Edited 7/28/09 1:40am]

Also, music has been taken out of the public schools. And, as my dad said, when he grew up, damn near everyone was in a band or was trying to form one. Also, when kids grow up on crap music, they tend to make it. A lot of young musicians didn't grow up on good stuff-Curtis Mayfield, Earth Wind & Fire. My parents always made me listen to old school-Chaka, Teena Marie, Mandrill, etc, to let me know what good music was.

He is a lil older, but does anyone think Tevin Campbell has good range or is his vocal ability "just regular church singing" as my aunt would say?

Terence Trent D'arby isn't young, but that fucker has range. Bilal's range is otherworldly.

Since this thread about range, this dude sits on the throne ALONE...



Mr.Oliver can sing opera as well

Agree, but he needs to lay off the crack pipe

TD3 said:

I understand your point but I'm talking about the THREAD, not the musicianship of an artist. It's about vocal ranges, period. But whatever. I really don't feel like talking about it

Most of them would seem to have about a five-note range.

Are you dumb?

There AREN'T any male R&B singers, hell, there's barely any R&B today!

True, RNB has gone the way of the Edsel.

scriptgirl said:

I'm glad someone else said that..he's been that shit for years and been on some ole other shit since high school

DirtyChris said:

I forgot about D'Angelo. Your list is on target.

purplesweat said:

what the fuck?

SavonOsco said:

So?

Thats his personal business, we could talk till the 2nd Coming shows up,,,I don't think anybody could help him unless he ADMITS that he's on drugs.

And anyway, thats neither here nor there,,,the thread plainly asks about "vocal ranges" not "drug use".

Focus, people.

Harlepolis said:

I've heard him sound like shit because of his drug use,so if he got off the drugs his vocal range would be off the charts.is that focused enough for u?

SavonOsco said:

I didn't I've been to 5 of his shows and he gave NOTHING but A+ while he was dosing off.....unlike these "alleged" singers nowadays who couldn't pull off 1/2 of he does, and they're SOBER.

Not defending his lifestyle mind you but AGAIN...

Thats his OWN shit to deal with, talking about it won't change a damn. Just saying.