With her classy, refined brand of romantic soul, Anita Baker was one of the definitive quiet storm singers of the '80s. Gifted with a strong, supple alto, Baker was influenced not only by R&B, but jazz, gospel, and traditional pop, which gave her music a distinctly adult sophistication. Smooth and mellow, but hardly lifeless, it made her one of the most popular romantic singers of her time.
Baker released her major-label debut “Rapture” in 1986. It was a platinum, Grammy-winning smash, appealing to both urban and adult contemporary listeners and producing two all-time quiet storm classics in "Caught Up in the Rapture" and "Sweet Love." Baker toured the world in 1987 and her guest appearance on the Winans track "Ain't Got No Need to Worry" won a Grammy. Her equally stylish follow-up album, “Giving You the Best That I Got”, appeared in 1988, spawning more staples in the title track and "Just Because." "Giving You the Best That I Got" also won Baker two more Grammys, for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song. For her third Elektra album, Baker decided to handle a greater share of the songwriting, hence the title “Compositions”, which was released in 1990 and featured even stronger jazz inflections than Baker's previous work (not to mention all live instruments).
Following “Compositions”, Baker took a break from recording and touring; after having her first son in 1993, she returned to the studio to craft “Rhythm of Love”, which was released in 1994. In the years that followed, Baker was mostly silent, despite her fans' clamoring for a jazz album; instead, she raised her family and became embroiled in contract disputes with Elektra, which eventually led her to move to Atlantic.
She began working on a new album in 2000, but had to start over from scratch due to defective recording equipment that made the original tracks unsalvageable. In 2004 it was announced that she had signed with Blue Note and still working on her new album. In the meantime, the Atlantic imprint Rhino released “Night of Rapture: Live”, a 1987 concert originally available on video. Baker finally returned to the studio in 2003 and issued “My Everything”, her first album in 10 years. Two years later she released her first holiday album, “Christmas Fantasy”. Baker will release her new album, “Only Forever”, coming October 23, 2012.
She began working on a new album in 2000, but had to start over from scratch due to defective recording equipment that made the original tracks unsalvageable. In 2004 it was announced that she had signed with Blue Note and still working on her new album. In the meantime, the Atlantic imprint Rhino released “Night of Rapture: Live”, a 1987 concert originally available on video. Baker finally returned to the studio in 2003 and issued “My Everything”, her first album in 10 years. Two years later she released her first holiday album, “Christmas Fantasy”. Baker will release her new album, “Only Forever”, coming October 23, 2012.
Anita Baker will be at the Waterfront Theatre at the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami Florida on Thursday November 15, 2012.
