The Lula Lee Project 
Artist: Ann Nesby
Label: It's Time Child/Tyscott
 
 In the title-crazy  world of soul gospel, Ann Nesby has been crowned (or crowned herself?) Queen of Inspirational Soul. And she may as well be. 
 
Between her lead singing stint with the little college choir that could and did, Sounds of Blackness, solo albums and the occasional movie role, Nesby has navigated the worlds of churches, dance club divadom and both mainstream and adult r&b charts for what's going on twenty years internationally.

Though the title of her latest gospel release, The Lula Lee Project, gives the impression that she's adopting an alter ego, she says it's just the opposite;this is intended to represent the woman her friends and fam' see on an everday basis. If that's the case, she's about as sassy and funky as she is godly. 

Nesby/Lee (her married name) makes the funkiness evident from the get-go with a couple of tracks produced by controversial gospel/r&b dide Tonex. He gives "I Found a Place" a comforting midtempo gait, while "Too Late" gets darkly freaky, akin to his lsate '90s work with Kelli Williams. The latter's something of a stretch for La Lula, but she's up to the challenge.

Most of the disc's twelve tracks done get too high in beats per minute, and that fits Nesby's fulsome, elastic soprano well. Especialy fetching are her treks back to  '70s Memphis soul terrain, as on "Pressure Makes Diamonds" and "Thinkin' About You," where the stroings and organ come thick as the singer's positivity and vertically upward praises. 

"Sow Love" demonstrates her prowess in more minimally accompanied, slower material. But, mindful of her disco following, she ends rollickingly with the DJ Spen-produced "So Much Joy," about as perfect a synthesis of church and house musics as the best of her clubby Sounds of Blackness tracks. If remixes aren't already available, it would be criminal if none were soon.

Calling yourself the queen of anything in the booklet of your own CD may seem at least a tad bit indulgent, but Nesby's worth indulging. She's worthy of the crown. Even if you're not sure what to call her once she grants you an audience.

Jamie Lee Rake