Singer Shaw bucks trends with old-school soul

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Ryan Shaw is working it. Having won the coveted opening slot on

Joss Stone's national tour, the newcomer doesn't kick back during the two days' downtime between each concert.

At various stops, the Decatur, Ga., native is busy staging his own shows at smaller venues.

When Billboard caught up with the singer-songwriter, he was preparing for a performance at San Francisco's Boom Boom Room after opening for Stone the night before. "I'm not well-known enough, so I have to make some money in between," a pragmatic Shaw said with a laugh. "I'm getting my hustle on."

These mini-concerts not only give him the chance to "stretch out a bit," but they're also a chance to enlist more disciples for the soul revival he advocates on his recently released debut album, "This Is Ryan Shaw" (One Haven/Columbia).

With a voice reminiscent of Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson and Otis Redding, the 26-year-old puts a modern spin on songs by such predecessors as

Wilson Pickett and

Bobby Womack plus lesser-known names like the Combo Kings and the Sharpees. Evening out the mix are several Shaw-penned tunes, including first single "Nobody" and the upbeat "Over and Done."

Weaned on gospel, the Brooklyn-based Shaw nurtured his chops singing one song every half-hour at New York's now-defunct Motown Cafe. Soon after, he boarded a cruise ship for a summer gig with a four-piece band interpreting songs from the '50s through the '70s. But it was his 2004 teaming with doo-wop and classic soul vocal group the Fabulous Soul Shakers that fired up a passion to resurrect what he feels contemporary music is lacking -- the old-school skill of marrying strong melodies with timeless, meaningful lyrics.

"I'm into music -- chords, melodies, lyrics and arrangements," Shaw said. "It seems like the late '80s were the last time we really had all these elements in black music, with artists like

Anita Baker and

Luther Vandross. By the mid-'90s, we were down to two chords and a drum loop. I want to bring back real artistry."

It was Fabulous Soul Shakers guitarist Johnny Gale, whose credits include Hank Ballard and the Ramones, who brought Shaw to the attention of noted percussionist Jimmy Bralower. Their recording of four Shaw numbers with the Soul Shakers led to his signing with Columbia.

He and his three-piece band (who double as backing vocalists) will jump back on their bus two weeks after the Stone tour ends June 16 for a series of festival dates. A sweep through Australia and Japan is also being planned.

It appears Shaw's arresting, expressive vocals and tent-revivalist performances on the Stone tour are drumming up sales. His album recently re-entered Top Heatseekers at No. 46. But swimming upstream against the mainstream R&B/hip-hop current isn't easy. A case in point is retro-voiced soul artist Ricky Fante, whose 2004 Virgin album, "Rewind," failed to make a dent.

Mindful of the challenge, Shaw marches ahead. "My typing skills aren't that good, so I'll just keep singing."

Reuters/Billboard