and alternating on the verses between her charcoal-alto range and her churchy upper register.

Khan shows off her jazz chops on "Give Me All," embellishing the tune's break with thick harmonies and counter-pointing its saxophone solo with effortless blues-scale obbligatos. Her tight backgrounds and inspired improvisations add pastels to the percussive reggae-style groove of "Telephone." Khan's phrasing and nonpareil dynamics even bring to life the album's sore points – "You Can Make the Story Right" (a never-ending midtempo) and "Don't Look at Me That Way" (a boring Diane Warren ballad).

Believe the hype: Chaka is back on the block – and bravas are in order. (RS 628)

GORDON CHAMBERS