music

In a week when we tragically lost a true treasure of modern R&B and soul in D'Angelo, this is a good time to take comfort in the company of another one: Curtis Harding. Born in Michigan but raised in Atlanta, Harding was immersed in gospel music from an early age – his mother was a gospel singer who toured extensively, and this early exposure shaped his soul-drenched vocal style. Before his solo career, Harding worked as a backing vocalist for CeeLo Green and collaborated with various hip-hop luminaries, experiences that helped him forge his unique and beautiful fusion of soul, rock, funk, R&B and psychedelia.

Harding set the stage for his gritty, heartfelt solo sound with his 2014 debut solo LP Soul Power. This tour comes in support of his fourth full collection, Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt, which came out last month and finds Harding pushing into more cinematic and expansive arrangements while keeping his characteristically emotional and groove-oriented sound firmly in place.