Andre Williams

Andre Williams’s latest disc shows that five decades in the music business haven’t significantly diminished his musical prowess. Backed by the Diplomats of Solid Sound, Williams visits a variety of R&B material here. More restrained than his last couple of releases, the mellow vibe works well for Williams, although the lack of his recent combustibleness is sharply noticeable. Over the course of Aphrodisiac, Williams’s voice is in decent form, especially, for a 70-year old man, but his singing is in shorter supply with numerous instrumental breaks filling up much of the record’s space. The Diplomats of Solid Sound show themselves as a capable combo to support Williams with their Hammond B3 organ-driven sound. While Aphrodisiac never quite ignites, it offers some simmering, solid music.