#404 Anita Baker, 'Rapture' (1986)

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The breakout album by Anita Baker, which sold over 8 million records, won two Grammys and earned a Top 10 hit with ‘Sweet Love.’ A slow, brooding soul record that’s more subtle than in your face. It’s smooth and sexy. It’s a slow comfortable ride in a big luxurious car that takes you on a journey down a scenic suburban road. Her voice is pretty sublime, hitting huge notes one minute and staying subdued the next.

The band on this features some of the best players in the game including many that regularly recorded and/or performed with Michael Jackson, including Paul Jackson Jr., Freddie Washington, Greg Phillinganes, Paulinho da Costa & Ricky Lawson (also a member of Yellowjackets alongside Jimmy Haslip).

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