Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Will Downing, known for his emotive, smooth baritone, as well as impeccable phrasing and vocal agility that seamlessly blends R&B with jazz returns to New Jersey Performing Arts Center Mother’s Day weekend. Downing’s musical sensibility has kept him at the top for well over 25 years now, and his long reign as a master of romantic ballads has earned him the title of “Prince of Sophisticated Soul.”
“Will Downing is one of the most extraordinary vocalists in R&B and jazz,” says Soul Train. “His deep voice is smooth and serene, hitting those high and low notes without any hesitation […] after 28 years in the music industry, he still knows how to mesmerize a crowd.”
On his latest album, 2016’s Black Pearls, Downing lends his signature sound to a hand-picked collection of hits originally performed by some of the greatest female voices in R&B. The new LP includes Downing’s distinctive reinvention of chart-topping songs first made famous by Chaka Khan (“Everlasting Love”), Brenda Russell (“Get Here”), Deniece Williams (“Black Butterfly”), Randy Crawford (“Street Life”), Phyllis Hyman (“Meet Me on the Moon”), and more. Saturday, May 13, 2017 7:30pm & Sunday, May 14, 2017 7:00pm at Victoria Theater.
