Atlanta’s award-winning artist Stevie Hawkins is back with a passionate, richly textured new single "Diamonds In The Sky.” The song is a sensuous, romantic ballad that will transport you to a dimension of love and soothing relaxation either by yourself, or with that very special someone. This is sophisticated Soul/R&B with smooth jazz flavors at its very best. Although there are ample hooks within the song, Hawkins appears to forgo commercial radio fare with a mature ballad in a modern Soul/R&B style, a full 180-degree switch from his previous releases. Nevertheless, Hawkins manages to maintain his traditional roots by fusing melodious overtones of The Isley Brothers and Stevie Wonder that are prevalent throughout the song. Stevie Hawkins fluently phrases, caresses and delivers the lyrics from whispers to impassioned intensity. The song is tastefully seasoned with warm -- layered Fender Rhodes and atmospheric synthesizers by Grammy award-winning master of musical magic, the late George Duke. Interspersed throughout the track are sultry saxophone embellishments by Lou Marini (The Blues Brothers-Aretha Franklin), and a lilting chromatic harmonica solo by Ralph Rosen, reminiscent of Toots Thielemans or Stevie Wonder. The song glows with vibrancy, feels good, and you will want to listen on repeat. When asked about the creation of the song, Hawkins said, “Diamonds In The Sky was originally written and the basic track recorded in 2013. It was a one-off track we put together rather quickly for the purpose of using during my solo performance for the Los Angeles Music Awards voting party and press event at the Whiskey A Go-Go in Hollywood, late September of that year. Being nominated for "Urban Artist" by the LA Music Awards, I wanted to have a fresh Urban/R&B track to sing over for live presentation to the judges at the voting event. The mood recently came upon me to polish up the lyrics, record a new vocal, and complete production of the tune. We are pleased with the outcome, so we're putting it out there. I'm not chasing a sound or jumping on trends with the release of song. I'm just doing something that feels fresh to me. In the end, it's all about continuing to strive for greatness, doing the best that I can at what I love to do, which is create music.” Ultimately, Hawkins was the recipient of the 2013 Los Angeles Music Awards “Urban Artist” award. As an artist who likes to explore various styles of music, Stevie Hawkins proves here he belongs in the elite of Soul/R&B artists who can have ascendancy over more than one genre. He continues to propel his career and remains a formidable force on today's musical landscape. If you're a true Stevie Hawkins fan, or if you've just discovered this multi-talented man, you'll want to have "Diamonds In The Sky" as part of your "sophisticated Soul/R&B" collection! - Ozzi Roth - Hollywood Report Album Credits: Diamonds In The Sky (C. Hannon/T.S. Hawkins) Tempo: 76bpm Stevie Hawkins ~ Vocals :: Beat :: Strings :: Percussion George Duke ~ Fender Rhodes :: Synth :: Synth Bass Lou Marini ~ Saxophone Raymond ”Guitar” Watts ~ Electric and Classical Guitars Ralph Rosen ~ Harmonica Produced :: Engineered :: Mixed by Stevie Hawkins Studios:: Wintergreen Studio :: Atlanta, GA :: Fat Hits :: Los Angeles, CA Mastered by ShhhMedia :: Atlanta, GA :: shhhmedia.net Cover Art :: Dmytro Tolokonov Basic Tracks Recorded :: 2013 Final Production and Mix :: 2015 © 2015 Emphasis Records :: Hannon Hawkins Music, BMI All rights are reserved.