Harlem

Up and coming guitar virtuoso King Solomon Hicks grew up in Harlem around a lot of great musicians. That certainly shows on this album, an 11-song salute to those roots -- and how the 24-year-old guitarist and singer has turned them into his own fierce and distinctive style over the years. The set, produced by multiple Grammy Award winner Kirk Yano (Miles Davis, Public Enemy, Mariah Carey), showcases Hicks as a writer, player and interpreter. Originals such as the roadhouse ready "421 South Main," and the gospel shuffle of "Have Mercy on Me" rub musical elbows with staples such as a Latin-tinged take on Blood, Sweat & Tears' "I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know," a funked-up romp through Gary Wright's "Love is Alive" and a searing rendition of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help Me" that closes the album.