Gabriel Tajeu Music
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Gabriel Tajeu Music

Birmingham, Alabama, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013

Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Established on Jan, 2013
Band R&B Rock

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"Finding My Way"

This contrasting sort of tapestry makes its way on Finding My Way – Tajeu’s first full-length project and halfway funded via crowdsourcing. Wisely the artist pushes his best work towards the front: “Raindrops” plays like a Bill Withers track dipped in mid-tempo Jay Kay soul. “Self Righteous” delivers glorified pop-coated melodies on a light-reggae shuffle. “Something It Ain’t” powers up a sound that Questlove and The Roots would have easily delivered as Tajeu opens up his bottle of confessions using a docile art of poetic crooning: “But I still think that my life could be something it ain’t/something it should be.” As the album marches onward, the instantaneous grooves become less apparent as Tajeu opts for slow churned ballads and comfy portraits of lounge soul. It’s not that a bad of a transition, especially when he shows off his appetite for genre-spanning on lightweight gems like the country folk ballad, “Darling Please,” and the Vanessa Carlton-tinged “Doin’ Just Fine.”

What gives Finding My Way its thick backbone is the massive instrumentation. There are no gimmicks here – just armed and dangerous musicians with an assignment to put live music back into heavy rotation. And, that’s probably why it’s easy to associate this kind work with classic soul records. You can hear Matt Slocum’s organ piercing through the speakers like a Booker T. Jones on “How Do I Tell Her.” There’s a real contemporary R&B urgency felt inside Mark Lanter’s drumming on “Patience.” Chad Fisher and a cluster of horn specialists give off Chicago-like arrangements on the opening lines of “All I Want Is You.” It’s quite marvelous to hear Tajeu not only bending the rules within his Southern locale but also pulling off a luminous indie album using army-like ferocity. Highly recommended.

By J. Matthew Cobb

- See more at: http://www.soultracks.com/gabriel-tajeu-finding-my-way-review#sthash.eJH5TRWq.dpuf - SoulTracks


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

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Bio


Gabriel Tajeu is skillfully crafting his sound in music, a sound he calls “Folk-Rock Soul.” And after years of writing, arranging and recording his solo project “Finding My Way,” things are falling into place. The project
reached #11 on the iTunes Japan R&B chart, #48 on the Tokyo Top 100 with the single, “Raindrops,” and received favorable reception from U.S. critics. “Finding My Way” was named a 2014 Critic’s Pick by SoulTracks.
com along with other notable artists such as Aloe Blac, Bruno Mars, and Fitz and the Tantrums.


Growing up in a household that appreciated diverse music, Gabriel was provided a mash up of influences across the spectrum from Steve Wonder and Earth, Wind, and Fire, to Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra. When it came to music that hit his core vocally, he gravitated to the styling, phrasing, and use of harmonies of R&B legends Al Green and Marvin
Gaye. Recently, it’s the music of Ben Harper, Ryan Adams, John Mayer, Van Hunt, Joni Mitchell, D’Angelo, Brett Dennen, and Elvis Costello that has had a profound influence upon his writing.


Following the success of his debut project, Gabriel’s second album, “Southern Skies,” is in the works. Recording at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala., it will feature Swampers legends David Hood on bass and Spooner Oldham on keys. Adding another layer to the project, Gabriel had the pleasure of recording tracks with David LaBruyere on bass (John Mayer, Shawn Mullins, David Ryan Harris) and David Crenshaw on drums (Maxwell). 


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