John Legend & The Roots: "Wake Up!"

Hopes are high for the new John Legend release coming to retail and e-stores on 21 September. The album, entitled Wake Up!, is a collaboration with The Roots. This past weekend at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, they test drove some of the songs to be included on Wake Up! plus some old Legend gems and inspired covers (including Stevie Wonder's "I Love Every Little Thing About You").

And speaking of covers, looking at the track listing of the new record reveals a healthy dose of them, including Les McCann & Eddie Harris' classic anti-war raver "Compared To What," Marvin Gaye's spiritual masterpiece "Wholly Holy" and a very fine version (below) of The O'Jays' 1974 social justice hit "Wake Up Everybody" which features Melanie Fiona and Common.