Get Here

by Rob TheakstonEight years had passed between Brenda Russell's excellent eponymous debut and the release of Get Here, and with that so did the tone and palette of R&B songwriting and production. Gone were many of the warm, analog-birthed sessions and in their place came the digital age of sterile, crisp production values designed to target the top of the pop and adult contemporary charts. But this time around, Russell managed to transcend these changes and deliver another potent album-length performance. Get Here delivered two outstanding hits, including the adult contemporary radio favorite "Piano in the Dark," which earned her three Grammy nominations and remains the biggest hit of her career. And just as Luther Vandross covered her song "If Only for One Night" and turned it into a hit, so did Oleta Adams covering "Get Here," which resulted in the biggest single of Adams' career.