Maysa Leak

Last updated
Maysa Leak
Born (1966-08-16) August 16, 1966 (age 58)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1991present
Labels
Website www.maysa.com

Maysa Leak (born August 16, 1966) [1] is an American jazz singer better known by her mononym Maysa. She is well known by fans of smooth jazz both for her solo work and her work with the British band Incognito. [1]

Contents

Early life and career

Leak attended Milford Mill High School in western Baltimore County. [2] After high school, she studied music at Morgan State University in Baltimore, where he graduated with a degree in classical performance. There she performed as a member of the world-famous Morgan State University Choir under the direction of the late Nathan Carter. Leak met performer Stevie Wonder during a college performance.[ citation needed ]

After receiving her degree from Morgan State University, Maysa headed to Southern California to perform with Stevie Wonder’s female backup group Wonderlove. [1] While with Wonder, Maysa was a vocalist on the Jungle Fever soundtrack, [1] and performed on numerous television shows including The Arsenio Hall Show , Oprah and The Tonight Show .

It was during an over-the-telephone audition in the early 1990s that Maysa became a member of the British jazz/funk/R&B band Incognito and, in 1992, she relocated to London and recorded Tribes, Vibes & Scribes, featuring the hit single "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing". [1] Since then, Maysa has appeared on over seven Incognito recordings.

Maysa recorded her self-titled debut in 1995, [1] followed by her second album All My Life in 2000, then Out of the Blue (2002), Smooth Sailing (2004), Sweet Classic Soul (2006), and Feel the Fire (2007). In 2008, Metamorphosis peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz top 100 chart and No. 13 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. [ citation needed ] In 2010, A Woman in Love, Maysa's 8th solo CD, debuted at No. 1 on the Contemporary Jazz Charts. [ citation needed ] Maysa's 9th solo album, Motions of Love, released in November 2011, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard`s Contemporary Jazz Chart and Number 7 on the R&B charts.[ citation needed ]

Maysa has also collaborated with well-known jazz performers like Gerald Veasley, Rick Braun, Will Downing, Jason Miles' Soul Summit, Rhythm Logic, Jonathan Butler, and Pieces of a Dream. [1]

In 2009, Maysa won the very first new Soul Train Award named for the brand's new owners, CENTRIC, The Centric Award: Soul Approved/Underground.

Maysa was a spokesperson in relation to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a disease that can be fatal to premature babies. She appears in RSV PSA commercials, with her son Jazz, sponsored for the March of Dimes.

Personal life

Maysa continues to live in Baltimore. She has a son named Jazz. [3]

Discography

Albums

YearAlbum detailsUS Chart positions [4] Note
R&B/
Hip-Hop
Jazz Con.
Jazz
Heat Indie
1995Maysa
64
2000All My Life
8811
2002Out of the Blue
10
2004Smooth Sailing
61159
2006Sweet Classic Soul
4847
2007Feel the Fire
  • Released: May 22, 2007
  • Label: Shanachie
301843
2008Metamorphosis
  • Released: October 14, 2008
  • Label: Shanachie
1331428
2010A Woman in Love
  • Released: January 26, 2010
  • Label: Shanachie
707122
2011The Very Best of Maysa
  • Released: March 29, 2011
  • Label: N-Coded
43
Motions of Love
  • Released: November 8, 2011
  • Label: Shanachie
41519
2013Blue Velvet Soul
  • Released: June 18, 2013
  • Label: Shanachie
32531150
2014A Very Maysa Christmas
  • Released: October 27, 2014
  • Label: Shanachie
207
2015Back 2 Love
  • Released: May 26, 2015
  • Label: Shanachie
2142622
  • R&B #9
2017Love is a Battlefield
  • Released: May 26, 2017
  • Label: Shanachie
31520
2023Music for Your Soul
  • Released: March 31, 2023
  • Label: Blue Velvet Soul Records
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Heather Phares (1966-08-16). "Maysa | Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  2. "Board of Education - Alumni". Bcps.org. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  3. "Maysa - MAYsa's BIO (SHORT)". Maysa.com.
  4. "Maysa Charts Search". Billboard . Retrieved 2017-05-29.