by Henry Igwe

The music opens with a keyboard playing, and then some drumming. Cobhams is again responsible for this ‘soul food’.

Bez doesn’t keep us guessing one bit on this, the music is typical of his style, and he brings his singing to the party.

Bez’s ‘My Baby’ is fresh news to the ears and senses. The singer bursts into life on this with the visionary Cobhams (no pun intended) on production. From the first strings of guitars and drums and piano sounds, to the last line from Bez, there is the unmistakable feel of musical fineness.

Listeners who know good music know that a fusion of this two naturally brings about a tune, a thoroughly made sound with sprinklings of genius here and there. Cobhams is lethal in the booth, and Bez- evil on the boom mic, the end of this is the sweetness called My Baby.

Starting slowly and gaining vibe inside the first or so minute, you’d easily have fancied this just “another of them songs”, with star names and no particular distinction. But there’s a reason Cobhams is the most sought after music ‘chef’ in all of Nigeria, and Bez the real McCoy of alternative soul, both with recognitions transgressing the bounds of local niche.

It has a melody that helps the mind unwind. Traffic irritations fizzle with ear phones plugged, and the beats of My Baby interwoven with the Bez rendition, fusing with the inner senses effortlessly, like hand in glove.

The song fits perfectly for a quiet Saturday evening dinner with that special someone. Very easy: place your tablecloth, dinnerware, unscented candles and flowers and you won’t go wrong. Set floating candles in small glasses, filled partly with cranberry juice and serve your Lady her fave menu. Then let the soft, romantic My Baby play in the background; helping you into new euphoria. That’s another angle and story to the entire song.

And though some parts of the song didn’t exactly come off in our heads, as wanted, in all Bez serves another sizzling alternative soul work here. The ladies will swoon, and Bez will raze private gigs and dinner parties with this effort. Charts will glow, and some teenage love affair will spring upon this. For all the “damage” wrecked in the song’s wake, Cobhams -the mastermind of this- will be solely to blame. At some point, fingers will point Bez’s directions, the night shows on radio will fire up with My Baby’s extra steam, and the singer will get all that he deserves- which is some stellar credit.

If the song isn’t a perfect, exquisite piece of sheer brilliance; it sure is a sound reminiscent of pure alternative soul sweetness. Champagne and grilled Turkey, with this playing smoothly in the corner is in order. And much as Bez was great on the effort, albeit with potentials of notching even further greatness; we can easily call this the best soul music from our own, in this last phase of the year and we would be spot on.