哈維•科隆：地心引力 (CD)

『音樂可以讓你笑、讓你哭、讓你舞。並且讓你感到不寂寞』---哈唯•科隆

雖然黑人歌手哈唯•科隆2003年就出道，但一直沒受到注意。直到2011年美國NBC電視開播選秀賽「音樂達人PK讚」(The Voice)，重燃他的音樂舞台美夢，隨著許多曾發過片的藝人前來挑戰。就這樣他不僅贏得第一屆冠軍王座，他的歌聲與創作能力也倍受矚目。

  擁有多明尼加、波多黎各血統的哈唯•科隆，因為父親在電台工作，從小就在音樂環境下成長。學生時期開始創作歌曲，一邊念書，一邊擔任樂團主唱。唱歌寫歌似乎是他的天職，2012年第一張專輯「Come Through For You」，就榮登R&B專輯排行榜前20名創下佳績。相隔數年，「地心引力」專輯，哈唯•科隆則想要突破。十多首歌當中，不僅強打多首抒情歌曲，讓他的歌聲流露自然的魅力。

哈唯•科隆自己說：『他想做一張專輯是自由自在地，特別來自是許多朋友的鼓勵，讓他在音樂創作上得以自由揮灑，完全做自己』，對他而言，譜寫音樂是最快樂的事。詞曲當中將人們心中的故事表達出來，並獲得共鳴，這就是哈唯•科隆的創作原動力。《Close To You》與《My Perspective》有他一貫的風格，輕盈節奏伴著歌聲。《Say》則是Doo-Woop結合他靈魂風格的美妙歌唱。《Giant》、《Gravity》與《It Don't Matter To The Sun》等多首抒情歌，更直接打動人心。

哈唯•科隆不僅是耀眼的明日之星，欣賞他歌唱美妙轉音，同時也要記得看看觸動心弦的歌詞美好。

"I wanted to make an album where I could be free to be myself, with no walls or boundaries,"Javier Colon says of his new album Gravity.  "I wanted the freedom to be myself musically, and I was surrounded by people who encouraged me to do that."

Blessed with a stunningly soulful voice, an uncanny songwriting talent, a charismatic personality and a commanding stage presence, Javier Colon has already won the attention of an international fan base that's embraced his personally-charged, acoustic-textured blend of pop, rock and R&B, an effortlessly distinctive style that he's dubbed "acoustic soul."

Having been introduced millions of TV viewers as the winner on the inaugural season of NBC'sThe Voice, singer-songwriter-guitarist Colon is set to take his recording career to the next level with Gravity, his fourth album and his first for Concord Records.

Indeed, the 15-song Gravity, on which Colon wrote or co-wrote all but three songs, marks a creative milestone for the artist.  Such musically compelling, emotionally resonant tunes as "For A Reason," "Clear the Air," "Walking Blind" and the memorable title track demonstrate the breadth of his talents, matching his distinctly expressive voice with irresistible melodies, insightful lyrics and Colon's own distinctive acoustic guitar work, which sets the tone for the album's spacious instrumental arrangements.

Recorded in Brooklyn, Nashville, Los Angeles and Utah as well as the artist's home state of Connecticut, Gravity marks a turning point in an eventful musical journey that's taken Javier Colon to a lot of interesting places.  The son of a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother, Colon emerged as a musical prodigy early in life.  His gifts took him to the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music, where he founded an a cappella R&B quintet that performed at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater.  Soon after graduating from Hartt with a degree in Music Education, he became lead singer of the neo-funk group EmCQ.

When EmCQ opened for funk-jazz luminaries Soulive, Javier's talents drew the attention of Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno, whose recommendation led to him becoming lead singer of the Derek Trucks Band.  Colon spent two years touring with Trucks' group, with the band's eclectic rock/soul/blues/jazz brew providing an impressive vehicle for his talent and versatility.  After striking out on his own and signing a solo deal with Capitol Records, Javier released two well-regarded albums in urban-R&B mode, before making the audacious move of casting off that commercial direction in order to pursue a more personal approach to music-making.

After releasing the acoustic EP The Truth on his own label, Javier's career took an unexpected but propitious turn in 2011, when he became the winner on The Voice's first season, receiving a recording contract with Universal Republic Records.  The new deal yielded the well-received album Come Through for You as well as the holiday-themed EP A Very Acoustic Christmas.  But disagreements over creative direction caused the artist to once again make the decision to seek out a label situation better suited to his musical goals.

"I'm grateful to The Voice for allowing me to be myself in front of tens of millions of people," Javier notes.  "It was the greatest thing that could have happened to me, and the experience gave me the confidence to fight to be my real self musically.  I was happy with the album that I made for Universal, for the most part, but it was kind of an arranged marriage and it didn't work out.  But that's OK, I'm a firm believer in everything happening for a reason.  Now I'm in situation with Concord where I can make the music that I've always wanted to make."

The new label association yields substantial creative results throughout Gravity, which finds Javier Colon delivering some of his most accomplished songwriting and most inspired performances to date.

"It's always been my goal as a songwriter," he says, "to write songs that people can relate to their own experiences, or to get people to step out of their own shoes for a few minutes and see what somebody else's life might be like."

Colon set the stage for Gravity's release with some recent overseas successes, including a run of shows in Japan with renowned jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, and a series of concerts in Mexico and South America with Maroon 5 (whose frontman Adam Levine was Javier's coach on The Voice).

"Those were two of the most amazing experiences of my life," says Colon.  "On the Maroon 5 shows, I was just the opener, but the audiences were so affectionate and appreciative that there were times on stage that I was moved to tears.  I sang a song or two in Spanish, and the reaction was so incredible that I'm planning on recording some songs in Spanish for my fan base in Latin America."

Those experiences helped to ignite Colon's excitement about getting back on the road and bringing Gravity to his loyal and growing fan base.

"I get emails and messages from fans, saying that my music has moved them or touched them, or helped them when they were in a dark place," he says.  "That's something that I take very seriously.  Knowing that other people are listening on that level makes me feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

"Music is powerful," Colon continues.  "It can make you cry, it can make you laugh, it can make you dance, and it can make you feel like you're not alone.  It can allow you to confront your life, or it can make you forget about life for awhile.  My songs have always come from the heart, and from a place of wanting to move people or make people feel something inside.

"I'm glad to be in a position now where I can put music out there that reflects who I am as an artist and a person," he concludes.  "As an artist, you live and die by the songs that you sing, and if you sing a song that you're not fully invested in, or a song that you don't really feel, then you're not doing your job as an artist.  With Gravity, I got to make an album that I really love from start to finish, and I'm willing to fight for that and live with the consequences."