Like many neo soul singers, Chrisette Michele's roots also lie in the gospel choir with her father behind the organ and her mother as choirmaster. A career in R&B was in prospect, were it not for the fact that at the age of seventeen she received a CD with Astrud Gilberto's The Girl From Ipanema on it. Michele was lost and converted to jazz. Billie Holiday in particular turned out to be a grateful
… source of inspiration. She was later discovered by India during an 'open mic' session, Arie who immediately arranged a number of gigs for her. With such a backup it was not difficult to get a record deal with Def Jam. For her debut I Am, which was recorded under the production direction of Babyface, Salaam Remi, John Legend and will.i.am, she left jazz at home and focused on neo soul. Of course, this couldn't go wrong with so much good guidance. Michele sounds remotely like Holiday, but has enough talent to give her subdued songs a completely unique twist. (AD)more
