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Cheeks is the daughter of the Reverend Julius Cheeks, the gospel singer whose hoarse shout style modeled Wilson Pickett's. One expects the 13 tracks on her debut CD -- so long awaited by club music fans who've danced to her get-happy songs since 1992's "So in Love (the Real Deal)" -- to rise up and bite the ceiling. They do. From "Joy to My World" and "Reach" to "Different Love" and, yes, "So in Love," Cheeks's British producers put down an honest and joyous sound, and she sings these numbers high in a no-nonsense, exultant soprano. Her natural highs -- less lip flurry than some but plenty of tonsil -- certainly differ from the narcissistic trickeries put forth by most of today's club divas. But there's an affirming power in her glitzless interpretations of "Wishing on the Same Star" and "Single Tear" -- two songs about hope when there's no reason -- that no burlesquing diva can hope to match. ***1/2 Judy Cheeks
RESPECT
(Popular/EMI)
-- Michael Freedberg
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