Rating: NNN
I assumed the raves Queen Latifah (née Dana Owens) snagged for Chicago inspired the rapper-turned-actor-turned-crooner to create this soul-pop-jazz mishmash, but apparently the seeds were sown when she played a lounge singer in 1998’s Living Out Loud. Makes sense, since the Queen’s versions of Al Green and Bill Withers tunes are so slickly smooooth they feel like you should be in a sad airport lounge with vinyl banquettes. Only slightly more uncomfortable than the schmaltzy arrangements is the excruciatingly dumb spoken-word segments of the “Baby, you know I love you” variety, which she uses to introduce guests Al Green and Herbie Hancock. The best thing here is a soul-tinged take on California Dreamin’.