In the park with Tookie the Labrador retriever.

That’s where soul singer Leela James found herself on a recent afternoon in her hometown of Houston. She’s chosen the park to conduct a phone interview, and who can blame her? After four years of watching her debut album bounce around at the former RuffNation Records and Warner Bros. Records, James finally has something to show for it.

Her 2005 album, “A Change Is Going To Come,” was a critical smash, and her single, “Music,” was featured on VH1. James was nominated for a Soul Train award for “Best New R&B-Soul Artist” along the way.

So, some park time with Tookie is much deserved.

‘Yap!’

“Come here Tookie,” James says over Tookie’s yips. “That’s Tookie ... he’s just playing.”

James is in a playful mood, too, especially since the success of “Change” has vindicated her in the eyes of the industry.

“I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the response because it did take me a while to come out, and I was thankful people embraced it as much as they did,” she says. “So that was nice when you’re constantly told, ‘No. No. No,’ to finally get a ‘Yes. Yes. Yes,’ and get some support.”

James is a native of Los Angeles who grew up singing in church. She later ran track and studied business at Cal State University. The petite singer with the big voice started singing professionally in the late 1990s. While her debut album was in limbo, James racked up stage time opening for Stephanie Mills, Macy Gray, Robert Randolph, the Black Eyed Peas and John Legend.

Finally, James got the green light from Warner Bros. “A Change Is Going To Come” has an army of top producers, including Kanye West, Raphael Saadiq and Wyclef Jean. It’s a soulful opus of pretty and gritty sounds, dusty rhythms and warm-tummy musical bliss. James’ vocals hint of the influences of everyone from Aretha to Bill Withers, and she rarely takes the expected path on a song, which is a good thing.

She’s soul, but don’t call her neo-soul.

“No, I’m not none of that,” she says. “I’m just a soul singer with soul. All that neo-soul, I don’t know what it is ... it’s not me. There’s nothing new about soul music.

“I’m more in your face.”

Expect more of what James calls her “back porch soul” because she’s getting ready to record her follow-up to “Change.”

As for Tookie, well, he has some work to do. He’s still not allowed to ride in James’ classic Mustang.

“No,” James says. “He doesn’t know how to behave.”