"{safm}Peabo Bryson{/safm} was far more involved with this album than he was with "Take No Prisoners". That was a successful album but he felt his biggest successes have always come on his own. I think that my songs best reflect my personality and that's when I fell the most comfortable.


  IT Wasn't until I got my copy of "Quiet Storm" that I realised how long it has been between albums for Peabo Bryson. His previous album was last spring's "Take No Prisoners", an album that was produced by Tommy Lipuma and Arif Mardin. In all honesty, it doesn't rank as one of Peabo's best! The new album? Now that's vintage Peabo! "It did take a little longer than usual," the articulate Mr. Bryson concedes. "Certainly longer than any of my previous albums. I was on the road for some of the time and so we had to do some scheduling. But I think the biggest reason for the delay was because I was very picky about the musicians. That was something, that I didn't feel I could compromise on. "Sometimes a good 'live' musician doesn't pan out in the studio and there is a certain level that I wanted to achieve and that I felt my fans would expect of me. I couldn't compromise on my integrity in that direction. "I was far more involved with this album than I was with "Take No Prisoners". That was a successful album but I feel my biggest successes have always come on my own. I think that my songs best reflect my personality and that's when I fell the most comfortable. "I feel as if I am using the talents that God gave me and if I don't do that everything is for nought anyway. "I'd say that this album is comparable to anything I have ever done. In fact, it may be technically superior and possibly the continuity is better than on some of the past albums." Aside from simply not releasing an album, things seem to have been pretty quiet on the Peabo Bryson front generally. "It was very much a self-imposed exile," Peabo smiles. "I needed this album badly. The record company understood so they didn't pressure me. With my last album, I really went to school (with Tommy Lipuma and Arif Mardin) and now I had to get back to what I felt most comfortable with but still use the knowledge that I had picked up from them. "When you're the writer, producer, arranger, artist and performer, you have to maintain a very high level of objectivity and you still have to follow the rule of what's happening out there. Timing has a great deal to do with any success or any failure. "Take No Prisoners" -represented a change in direction for me and what may seem like a slight change to me may end up being a quantum leap to my fans. "Maybe the change for that album was too severe and not gradual enough, I don't know. But I'm glad I worked with Tommy and Arif because of what I learned by working with them. It broadened my horizons. However, ultimately the public decides - they have the last say and I guess they're always right." One big bonus for "Quiet Storm" is that Peabo does intend to tour behind it. 'Definitely! We are planning the dates right now so that we can start out around the holidays (Thanksgiving, late November). The first leg will be more intimate theatres and then, next year, maybe we'll get to play some of the biggest venues. "The ideal package would be with someone like an Anita Baker because we would blend so well together. "I'm also hoping to get back to Europe early next year. Talks are already taking place because I feel it's important to get back over there and behind this album. Ideally, I'd like to tour Europe once every year to eighteen months." Judging by the initial response to "Quiet Storm", it could very easily evolve into a rather noisy tempest before all is said and done. B&S '87