"Journey of a Gemini" Jive

Donell Jones has never truly blown up. Instead, this R&B crooner has bubbled just underneath mainstream success.

Before he embarked on a career as a solo artist, he wrote hits for such artists as Usher. But being the son of a gospel singer, Jones couldn't subsist on just writing alone. So in 1996, he emerged with his debut, "My Heart," which climbed high on the Billboard charts on the strength of his remake of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet." Jones managed to do what few singers do: make the remake something all his own while not disrespecting the original. It became one of Jones' biggest hits.

The R&B landscape is a crowded field, making it hard for anyone to stand out. But Jones has managed, over three previous albums, to do so.

After a four-year break, he returns with his fourth CD, "Journey of a Gemini." He allows a few guests, such as rapper-producer Jermaine Dupri and rap group Clipse, to lend their talents.

But the star is Jones' smooth tenor, which anchors every song.

The CD is a balance of dance-floor up-tempo songs and smoldering ballads, and Jones does all equally well, his voice gliding across each track.

This is an artist who knows what he's doing and doesn't seem to be straining to be like everyone else. Even the socially conscious "Cry" doesn't seem out of place.

Then he moves just as easily into the realm of the freaky, on the sexy "Can't Wait."

This is simply a solid R&B album, the kind Jones has made a career of making. Enjoy the journey.

-- Media General News Service