Maysa Leak

Maysa Leak (born August 17, 1966) is an American jazz singer better known by her mononym Maysa. She is well known by fans of smooth jazz both for her solo work and for her work with the British band Incognito.[1]

Maysa Leak
Born (1966-08-17) August 17, 1966
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1991present
Labels
Associated actsIncognito
Websitewww.maysa.com

Early life and career

Leak attended Milford Mill High School in western Baltimore County.[2] After high school, she studied music at Morgan State University in Baltimore City and graduated with a degree in classical performance. There she performed as a member of the world famous Morgan State University Choir under the direction of the late Nathan Carter. Leak met performer Stevie Wonder during a college performance.

After receiving her degree from Morgan State University, Maysa headed to Southern California to perform with Stevie Wonder’s female backup group Wonderlove.[1] While with Wonder, Maysa was a vocalist on the Jungle Fever soundtrack,[1] and performed on numerous television shows including The Arsenio Hall Show, Oprah and The Tonight Show.

It was during an over-the-telephone audition in the early 1990s that Maysa became a member of the British jazz/funk/R&B band Incognito and, in 1992, she relocated to London and recorded Tribes, Vibes & Scribes, featuring the hit single "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing".[1] Since then, Maysa has appeared on over seven Incognito recordings.

Maysa recorded her self-titled debut in 1995,[1] followed by her second album All My Life in 2000, then Out of the Blue (2002), Smooth Sailing (2004), Sweet Classic Soul (2006), and Feel the Fire (2007). In 2008, Metamorphosis peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz top 100 chart and No. 13 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In 2010, A Woman in Love, Maysa's 8th solo CD, debuted at No. 1 on the Contemporary Jazz Charts. Maysa's 9th solo album, Motions of Love, released in November 2011, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard`s Contemporary Jazz Chart and Number 7 on the R&B charts.

Maysa has also collaborated with well-known jazz performers like Gerald Veasley, Rick Braun, Will Downing, Jason Miles' Soul Summit, Rhythm Logic, Jonathan Butler and Pieces of a Dream.[1]

In 2009, Maysa won the very first new Soul Train Award named for the brand's new owners, CENTRIC, The Cenric Award: Soul Approved/Underground.

Maysa was a spokesperson for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a disease that can be fatal to premature babies. She appears in RSV PSA commercials, with her son Jazz, sponsored for the March of Dimes.

Personal life

Maysa continues to live in Baltimore, Maryland. She has a son named Jazz.

Discography

Albums

Year Album details US Chart positions [3] Note
R&B/
Hip-Hop
Jazz Con.
Jazz
Heat Indie
1995 Maysa
64
2000 All My Life
88 11
2002 Out of the Blue
  • Released: March 15, 2002
  • Label: N-Coded / Warlock
10
2004 Smooth Sailing
  • Released: July 21, 2004
  • Label: N-Coded / Warlock
61 15 9
2006 Sweet Classic Soul
48 47
2007 Feel the Fire
  • Released: May 22, 2007
  • Label: Shanachie
30 18 43
2008 Metamorphosis
  • Released: October 14, 2008
  • Label: Shanachie
13 3 1 4 28
2010 A Woman in Love
  • Released: January 26, 2010
  • Label: Shanachie
70 7 1 22
2011 The Very Best of Maysa
  • Released: March 29, 2011
  • Label: N-Coded
43
Motions of Love
  • Released: November 8, 2011
  • Label: Shanachie
41 5 1 9
2013 Blue Velvet Soul
  • Released: June 18, 2013
  • Label: Shanachie
32 5 3 11 50
2014 A Very Maysa Christmas
  • Released: October 27, 2014
  • Label: Shanachie
20 7
2015 Back 2 Love
  • Released: May 26, 2015
  • Label: Shanachie
21 4 2 6 22
  • R&B #9
2017 Love Is a Battlefield
  • Released: May 26, 2017
  • Label: Shanachie
3 1 5 20
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

References

  1. Heather Phares (1966-08-16). "Maysa | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  2. "Board of Education - Alumni". Bcps.org. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  3. "Maysa Charts Search". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-05-29.
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