Tamar Davis 'Milk & Honey' album

“My music is about originality; nothing fake.” In a music world rife with cookie-cutter talent, Tamar Davis is a rarity. That’s because she brings the total package to the table: Passionate singer. Gifted songwriter. Mesmerizing live performer.

No less an authority than Prince divined her triple-threat talent when he first offered her a production contract at the age of 14. But don’t be quick to dismiss her as just a Prince protégé. Tamar Davis deserves to be recognized in her own right.

“MILK & HONEY,” her solo debut on Universal Republic Records, will quell any doubt. A tasty mélange of funk, R&B, soul, gospel, jazz, rock and pop, “Milk & Honey” showcases Davis’ finesse at pairing cutting-edge sensibilities with a classic vibe. But the musical bottom line for her boils down to one thing: it has to be personal.

“I can’t write or sing anything without knowing the reason behind it,” says Davis. “Once that idea is established, I make sure to tell a story that allows the listener to visualize and experience the song with me.”

Whether jump-starting the party or pondering love’s twists and turns, Davis—to borrow a line from funky lead single “Holla & Shout”—“will make ya wanna holla.” Each song on “MILK & HONEY” is a story unto itself that showcases Davis’ intriguing versatility. Atmospheric love ballad “All I Want Is U” subtly plays up the soul and jazz nuances that color her feel-this vocals. On the pulsating “Red Head Stepchild,” Davis plugs into her head-banging, rock persona. Another ballad, “First Love,” will leave you marveling at her penchant for arranging, while “Kept Woman” calls to mind one of Davis’ early musical influences, Steely Dan. Then there’s the roof-raising, gospel-charged “Holy Ground.”

Recording “MILK & HONEY” at Prince’s Minneapolis studio was a ground-up process. “This album was driven first by the bass line,” explains Davis. “I’d sit at the piano and play the bass line. Then I’d bring in live musicians to build on that bass line. Afterwards, I would harmonize a melody on top of that, just humming or singing la, la, la. The longer I grooved to the track, I would begin to feel something personal.”

Davis’ feel for music dates back to the age of three when she started singing and dancing in her hometown of Houston. At nine she began professional voice lessons and was selected as one of the lead vocalists in the group Girls Thyme—now known as Destiny’s Child. While with Girls Thyme, Davis appeared on “Star Search.”

Continuing her education, she went on to become one of only 20 high school students to be named a Presidential Scholar for the Arts from a field of 8000 applicants. During her school years, Davis honed her skills by listening to such influences as Chaka Khan, Graham Central Station, Sting, Jennifer Holiday and Barbra Streisand.

After graduating from Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Davis relocated to Los Angeles where she earned a music degree from the University of Southern California. Able to write and arrange music, Davis can also sing in French, German, Swahili and Italian.

Davis and Prince—for whom she recorded a song at 14—reconnected following her graduation from USC. That led to her doing vocals on his latest album, “3121,” as well as co-writing their duet and international hit, “Beautiful, Loved and Blessed.” The song also appears on “MILK & HONEY.”

For Davis, the scenario doesn’t end with the writing and singing. She loves to perform. Audiences got a quick peak at her stage alter ego when Davis performed with Prince on “Saturday Night Live” and the Brit Grammy Awards.

“My music is about originality; nothing fake,” emphasizes Davis. “When people see me, I want them to feel that originality. And when I leave the stage, I want to leave them with their spirits revived.”

Which brings us back to a key lesson she learned early on from Prince: “Don’t do what everybody else is doing.”

Tamar Davis takes that lesson straight to heart on “MILK & HONEY.”

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Tamar Davis - Milk & Honey