Marc Staggers

The untimely passing of Luther Vandross left a huge void that has never been filled, and it’s unlikely that it ever will. Luther’s talent was unique – that’s why he achieved and deserved real superstar status. His regular albums were eagerly awaited by the soul fraternity who knew that they would deliver well-crafted, adult songs delivered by arguably the smoothest soul voice of al time and since his death different singers have tried to emulate that style and approach but few have come anywhere near – till now that is. With ‘Then And Now’, Marc Staggers has crafted what is easily the closet thing to a Luther Vandross album that we’re ever likely to get. Vocally the resemblance is uncanny. Staggers has the same warm, tuneful, velvety tone of the great man and – more importantly maybe – his songs and productions (in collaboration with his brother Reggie) are perfectly suited to that voice. All the songs deal with personal relationships – either romantic or between family members – and the productions allow the voice to do the work – no gimmicks, no distractions. There’s a thoughtful mix of tempos ranging from the energetic ‘Can’t Get Enough Of This Groove’ to the wonderful ballad ‘He Can Never Love You’ and in between there’s enough crisp mid tempo items to keep both modern soulsters and steppers bopping for hours. Of those the best is possibly ‘L.O.V.E’
- a tribute to a lost family member (his father?) methinks, though ‘If I Was Your Lover’ is every bit as good - there’s a great hook on that one. The surprise is that this isn’t Staggers’ first album. The young Washingtonian began his musical crusade in gospel and several recordings have won him support in that field and led to work with people like the Winans, but ‘Then And Now’ is the man’s first secular outing and with it he’s declared the arrival of a major talent.
- Soul&Funk&Jazz Review by Bill Buckley

The untimely passing of Luther Vandross left a huge void that has never been filled, and it’s unlikely that it ever will. Luther’s talent was unique – that’s why he achieved and deserved real superstar status. His regular albums were eagerly awaited by the soul fraternity who knew that they would deliver well-crafted, adult songs delivered by arguably the smoothest soul voice of al time and since his death different singers have tried to emulate that style and approach but few have come anywhere near – till now that is. With ‘Then And Now’, Marc Staggers has crafted what is easily the closet thing to a Luther Vandross album that we’re ever likely to get. Vocally the resemblance is uncanny. Staggers has the same warm, tuneful, velvety tone of the great man and – more importantly maybe – his songs and productions (in collaboration with his brother Reggie) are perfectly suited to that voice. All the songs deal with personal relationships – either romantic or between family members – and the productions allow the voice to do the work – no gimmicks, no distractions. There’s a thoughtful mix of tempos ranging from the energetic ‘Can’t Get Enough Of This Groove’ to the wonderful ballad ‘He Can Never Love You’ and in between there’s enough crisp mid tempo items to keep both modern soulsters and steppers bopping for hours. Of those the best is possibly ‘L.O.V.E’
- a tribute to a lost family member (his father?) methinks, though ‘If I Was Your Lover’ is every bit as good - there’s a great hook on that one. The surprise is that this isn’t Staggers’ first album. The young Washingtonian began his musical crusade in gospel and several recordings have won him support in that field and led to work with people like the Winans, but ‘Then And Now’ is the man’s first secular outing and with it he’s declared the arrival of a major talent.
- Soul&Funk&Jazz Review by Bill Buckley

You may never have heard of the wonderful talent who is Marc Staggers but this gentleman has been on the scene for nearly 20 years and has a whole wealth of experience behind him from his work within the church choir to working with Mom and Pop Winans, the legendary Clifton Dyson of "Dyson's Faces" fame, Stu Gardiner of Bill Cosby fame and then on to his first Gospel album, "Rejoice" in 2006. With a vocal style that ably stands on his own merit, yet bridges magnificently both Luther Vandross and Randy Wilson, Marc Staggers deserves to be standing in the light, out of the shadows and lapping up your attention in your CD player, iPod, whatever. This independent effort is the latest in a very long line of quality releases free from the cynical bandwagon creating circus of the major label scene. It's obvious listening to albums such as this that there are good old fashioned elements inherent called artistry and creativity at play here. Marc is not afraid to make his own mark on today's healthy independent music scene and this CD of ballads and steppers will do nought to damage his career whatsoever!

I know for a fact that all of those sensible enough to be a) visiting this website and b) reading my mad scribbles will fall in love instantly with the very first track, "Give You All My Lovin'". This is SUPERB. Real soul and then some, a catchy, very effective tune with real mass appeal in that superb Vandross mode, complete with flute and real instruments. Oh, it's new music like this that makes me distance myself further and further from the ludicrous tripe peddled as RnB in the US. Marc himself is a Washington DC resident and stands out from many of today's US artists in that he is true to what a song is really about: direction, melody, lyrics and...SOUL! "Can't Get Enough Of This Groove"...how right you are sunshine, and the stepping flavour is strong and should do well throughout the Steppin' Clubs in Chicago and the rest of the US. This definitely deserves airing on quality UK radio. The delicious piano led "Just You And Me" arrives a wee bit late for summer but definitely adds warmth to these rather cold October days, and the sexiness of "When I Think About Your Love" is astounding...I cannot wait to play this track in the presence of a certain Lady...this is a real tonic to the heart, mind and soul. Quality. A solid album for 2009 and a very strong secular debut for Marc Staggers. Unmissable soul.
- Barry Towler/The Vibe Scribe

You may never have heard of the wonderful talent who is Marc Staggers but this gentleman has been on the scene for nearly 20 years and has a whole wealth of experience behind him from his work within the church choir to working with Mom and Pop Winans, the legendary Clifton Dyson of "Dyson's Faces" fame, Stu Gardiner of Bill Cosby fame and then on to his first Gospel album, "Rejoice" in 2006. With a vocal style that ably stands on his own merit, yet bridges magnificently both Luther Vandross and Randy Wilson, Marc Staggers deserves to be standing in the light, out of the shadows and lapping up your attention in your CD player, iPod, whatever. This independent effort is the latest in a very long line of quality releases free from the cynical bandwagon creating circus of the major label scene. It's obvious listening to albums such as this that there are good old fashioned elements inherent called artistry and creativity at play here. Marc is not afraid to make his own mark on today's healthy independent music scene and this CD of ballads and steppers will do nought to damage his career whatsoever!

I know for a fact that all of those sensible enough to be a) visiting this website and b) reading my mad scribbles will fall in love instantly with the very first track, "Give You All My Lovin'". This is SUPERB. Real soul and then some, a catchy, very effective tune with real mass appeal in that superb Vandross mode, complete with flute and real instruments. Oh, it's new music like this that makes me distance myself further and further from the ludicrous tripe peddled as RnB in the US. Marc himself is a Washington DC resident and stands out from many of today's US artists in that he is true to what a song is really about: direction, melody, lyrics and...SOUL! "Can't Get Enough Of This Groove"...how right you are sunshine, and the stepping flavour is strong and should do well throughout the Steppin' Clubs in Chicago and the rest of the US. This definitely deserves airing on quality UK radio. The delicious piano led "Just You And Me" arrives a wee bit late for summer but definitely adds warmth to these rather cold October days, and the sexiness of "When I Think About Your Love" is astounding...I cannot wait to play this track in the presence of a certain Lady...this is a real tonic to the heart, mind and soul. Quality. A solid album for 2009 and a very strong secular debut for Marc Staggers. Unmissable soul.
- Barry Towler/The Vibe Scribe