Recently, I made a post about how dissatisfied I was with the state of the R&B genre. I typed away my thoughts and I used
Trey Songz as a reference of how R&B had really downgraded down the ladder. I am actually quite relieved to make this post because ever since I began to listen to this artists work I've been listening to it quite frequently.
Born Glenn H. Adams Jr., the gifted Plainfield, New Jersey native has spent the better part of his life on some form of a stage. Growing up on healthy helpings of classic soul singers like
Al Green, Sam Cooke, and
Luther Vandross provided him with a solid musical foundation; but his more direct influences were contemporaries like
Prince, Lauryn Hill, and
D'Angelo.
As a member of an extracurricular high school program partnered with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Lenny's original aspiration was to be an actor. After seeing awe-inspiring performances by some of his music idols, he was compelled to try his hand at singing instead, and soon began honing his craft by performing at local talent shows. He eventually crossed paths with veteran music executive Darnell Scott, and was given the "big break" that aspiring artists always dream about.
Under the new direction of entertainment and media mogul Forrest Renaissance of BlackBelt Music Group and KYA Entertainment, Lenny recently released his long-awaited full-length debut album,
The Journal of Wonders: Tales of the Phoenix in the Moon Labyrinth on March 22nd, 2011.
From Toronto, With Love is proud to present you with Lenny Harold's full-length debut album, The Journal of Wonders: Tales of the Phoenix in the Moon Labyrinth. This album reconciled this long lost connection I once had with R&B. I feel synced to the music and what it represents. It's a great body of work from an artist with an obvious craving for the music. It paints on romantic canvases a painting of a gentleman in touch with reality and the joys of caressing to the needs of love. This smooth sailing is a sure pleaser to your ears and heart. The album consists of 14 original songs; production by Cass Maya; collaborations with Taylor Ryan and Solomon Cortes of WMC Productions; and the support of renowned musicians/writers responsible for some of the greatest hits in mainstream music history.
Before meeting Scott, Lenny would find himself on the very stage that inspired him to become a vocalist. Under his old moniker
CHANJ, Lenny proved an undeniable force to be reckoned with when he appeared as an "
Amateur Night" contestant on Showtime at the Apollo.
Commanding an audience known globally for its fiercely critical and sometimes brutal reception, he put his own stamp on
Floetry's highly received sensual ballad "
Say Yes." It was the mark of a consummate performer, as he recalls, "I
t was a lukewarm reception as I began to sing the song, but I just kept going… it turned into cheers and people standing and clapping." He won the challenge not once, but four times— earning a $25,000 dollar grand prize for his final victory. Footage of his captivating performance of the song on the Apollo and shows at other live venues has generated thousands of hits on YouTube.
After friends insisted the song’s originators see him pay homage at the Apollo performance, former Floetry vocalist Marsha Ambrosius was equally impressed with his version of her composition and was thrilled to work with him on the track "
Give it All." He says of the Grammy-winning songwriter, "W
orking with Marsha was incredible. I'm such a fan of hers and she wound up being a fan of me too, which made for great chemistry in the studio." Lenny was able to nurture his own budding skills as a songwriter on the project while working alongside a host of industry heavy-hitters. He says, "
I really just wanted to get involved with different people with different ideas. And I wanted to learn a lot so that I would have a lot more knowledge on how to really construct a song, or really get the best out of a harmony." In addition to Ambrosius, some of his collaborators included
Jaime Foxx, Teddy Riley, Dre & Vidal, Adonis, and
Day 26's Robert Curry and Mike City.
