What is Legato? Legato is defined as music in a smooth, even style with no breaks between notes. No better way to describe the beats and flows emanating from the speakers of my CD player. Legato's sound is a classic weave of hip-hop, soul, R&B that promises to draw you in and captivate you. The musical talent of Roland Apikelis' instrumental arrangements coupled with the silky smooth vocals of Genevieve Going, provide an entirely enjoyable experience from the first track to the last.
It's really no surprise that bringing such talented individuals together would produce such a magical, captivating sound. Roland Apikelis was not only a former dancer for Prince, but a former keyboardist for the award-winning band Vanguard, has appeared on the soundtrack of Dawson's Creek, and has produced music for Elleeven. Having studied classical piano since he was five years old, Apikelis has performed professionally across the United States for over fifteen years. In addition to producing Legato, he composed and arranged all of the musical tracks and plays many of the instruments heard in this album. Genevieve Going, while only 23 years old, shows an amazing vocal talent and maturity. She has performed on the same stage as P. Diddy and Les Nubians, done voice-over work for Sega, vocal arrangements on numerous recordings, and has written hooks, harmonies and lyrics for 30 albums. Whether she's rapping or singing, her voice is smooth, classy and full of soul. Her lyrics are well written, intelligent and intelligible.
What I loved most about this album is the fact that while bringing you back with an old-style feel, you never dismiss the beats as being old or stale. They grow on you…hook you in…make you want more. I can easily see tracks from this self-titled CD hitting mainstream dance radio stations with great success. Clubs would thrive off of some of the dance tracks on this album. I thoroughly enjoyed Legato and look forward to their next album.
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