With the smooth vocal style of Tank or Tyrese, Brian H. (aka Brian Harris), became a TV sensation as J-Rome after his stint on P. Diddy’s reality TV show, “Making the Band 4.” Now, he’s aiming to make rhythmic noise all over again. He has teamed up with rising star, Jamia Alesia, to record the sultry movie soundtrack, “Truly Everlasting” (Emtro/$13.99). It’s the companion CD to the film that has just been released on DVD.
The Jacksonville, Fla., singers sang two duets, “One Love” and “I Think I Love You.” Alesia did three solo tracks. The mid-tempo, “He’s So Fine,” is reminiscent of SWV back in the `90s. Her warm alto shines on the groove “The One” and she shows her sass on the track, “Changed.” Brian H. rounds the collection out with five tracks: the computerized “Beautiful Girl” and the aching jam, “Truly Everlasting.” There’s also a cozy acoustic version of the latter, as well as, the catchy love songs “Take It Slow” and “Imagine.”
Brenda Jackson, known as the Diva of Romance, is the best-selling African-American romance novelist of all time. She began reading romance novels to distress herself from her hectic job as an insurance executive and wondered why there weren’t more romance novels revolving around black people and started to write her own. She’s written 80 romance novels that have sold over 3 million copies and made her the top in her field. She’s now taken one of her most popular books and bankrolled the independent film, “Truly Everlasting” that is based on her best-selling 1998 book of the same name.
In the story, a man named Trask and woman named Felecia who have hated each other since childhood are drawn together when Felecia’s son wishes for a father to spend Christmas with since his biological father is dead. When Trask hears of Austin’s unique request from one of Felecia’s relatives, he volunteers to be Austin’s dad for the holidays. Against her better judgment, Felecia relents and allows Trask to act as Austin’s father. Forced to be around each other for the child’s sake, the adults fall in love and the story takes on a unique twist that includes a protracted custody battle for Austin.