Open Book 2007

 Whenever there is some type of event where the DJ is spinning old-school soul, funk, and disco -- an event that could be taking place anywhere from Cherry Hill, NJ to Newcastle, England -- one question that inevitably comes up a lot is "Whatever happened to?" You know, whatever happened to McFadden & Whitehead (sadly, both died in the 2000s), or whatever happened to Teena Marie? ("Lady T" came out with an album called Sapphire in 2006.) And if the DJ is playing crowd-pleasers like 1977's "Shame" or 1982's "Love Come Down," someone inevitably wonders what Evelyn "Champagne" King has been up to. King flew under the radar in the '90s and early 2000s, but admirers of the Bronx native's '70s and '80s hits will be glad to know that she is in generally good form on her 2007 comeback album Open Book. King, who turned 47 on July 1, 2007, hasn't lost anything in terms of vocal power -- and she has respectable material to work with on a CD that, for the most part, successfully balances 2007 considerations and old-school R&B considerations. The album's most overtly 2007-sounding track is the single "Skillz," which is very much in the hip-hop-minded Mary J. Blige/Beyoncé Knowles/Olivia vein. "Skillz" tries a little too hard to be relevant to 2007 tastes and ends up sounding a bit forced, but even so, the tune is catchy. Most of the time, however, Open Book achieves a more organic and natural-sounding balance of the classic and the contemporary (by 2007 standards), and that approach serves King well whether she is embracing a quiet storm groove on the laid-back "Whole Lotta Yum Yum," getting into dance diva mode on "The Dance" (which house fans will definitely appreciate) or favoring an urban/adult contemporary blend on the title song (an introspective ballad). Although not in a class with essential gems like 1977's Smooth Talk, 1981's I'm in Love, and 1982's Get Loose, Open Book is a generally pleasing and respectable return to the studio for the veteran singer.