Kimmy & Klasse'

Headed by lead singer <a href="spotify:artist:3ZBISpI24ASexnSWFIBUiR">Kimmy J. Kearse</a>, female R&B vocal trio Kimmy & Klassé have been around since 1994. Their music is best described as urban contemporary/neo-soul with jazz overtones; Kimmy & Klassé are not straight-ahead bop by any means, but jazz is definitely an influence on the East Coast threesome. Kimmy & Klassé bring a long list of influences to the table, ranging from '70s groups like <a href="spotify:artist:64CuUOOirKmdAYLQSfaOyr">the Emotions</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2M4KXzgedR4EKG4qgTeDKa">Love Unlimited</a> to <a href="spotify:artist:0ty0xha1dbprYIUAQufkFn">Patti LaBelle</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7nwUJBm0HE4ZxD3f5cy5ok">Aretha Franklin</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:46CH1Gp8l8QVly8bpG9JFG">Anita Baker</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7nwrblOf59ulOiB6djwPVh">Dianne Reeves</a> (a jazz-oriented vocalist who has strayed into R&B territory at times). While there are parallels between Kimmy & Klassé and 1990s/2000s vocal groups such as <a href="spotify:artist:5fikk4h5qbEebqK2Fc6e48">En Vogue</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1Y8cdNmUJH7yBTd9yOvr5i">Destiny's Child</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3ZBISpI24ASexnSWFIBUiR">Kearse</a> and her two colleagues are not as overtly or consistently hip-hop-minded. Hip-hop has influenced Kimmy & Klassé on occasion, but it isn't a huge influence -- certainly not the way it has been a huge influence on <a href="spotify:artist:1XkoF8ryArs86LZvFOkbyr">Mary J. Blige</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5NDMothbpdpq2xHqSjrrWn">Faith Evans</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6vytZ677lz4LzCrUDcDokM">Blu Cantrell</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6vWDO969PvNqNYHIOW5v0m">Beyoncé Knowles</a>.

At times, Kimmy & Klassé inspire comparisons to <a href="spotify:artist:5n19henkx1mct51zyvmFop">Perri</a>, a risk-taking female vocal quartet that enjoyed a small following in the '80s and early '90s. <a href="spotify:artist:5n19henkx1mct51zyvmFop">Perri</a> was basically an urban contemporary/soul group, but they did have jazz influences -- and Kimmy & Klassé, like <a href="spotify:artist:5n19henkx1mct51zyvmFop">Perri</a>, know how to bring an appreciation of jazz to an R&B foundation. One of the songs in Kimmy & Klassé's repertoire is <a href="spotify:artist:4IbAZwt75dpehMOgcC3GnP">Richard Rodgers</a> & <a href="spotify:artist:0cbeImgBvjk8dtBiGln2UC">Lorenz Hart</a>'s famous Tin Pan Alley standard "My Funny Valentine," which has been performed by countless jazz improvisers over the years but generally doesn't receive as much attention from the R&B world. Tin Pan Alley, however, is not a major focus of Kimmy & Klassé, whose diverse repertoire has ranged from <a href="spotify:artist:3ZBISpI24ASexnSWFIBUiR">Kearse</a>'s original songs to the traditional "America the Beautiful" to R&B favorites like "Chain of Fools" (one of <a href="spotify:artist:7nwUJBm0HE4ZxD3f5cy5ok">Aretha Franklin</a>'s big '60s hits) and the late <a href="spotify:artist:0bShb58TO0fM5jOjXhB1WT">Van McCoy</a>'s "Giving Up" (which -- like "Every Beat of My Heart," "Operator," and "Letter Full of Tears" -- was among <a href="spotify:artist:0TF2NxkJZPQoX1H53rEFM1">Gladys Knight & the Pips</a>' early, pre-Motown hits).

Kimmy & Klassé were formed in Upper Marlboro, MD, where <a href="spotify:artist:3ZBISpI24ASexnSWFIBUiR">Kearse</a> joined forces with the group's two other members, Johnita Wilson-Dillard and LeVondra Attidore. Wilson-Dillard is the only Maryland native in the trio; <a href="spotify:artist:3ZBISpI24ASexnSWFIBUiR">Kearse</a> is originally from Pennsylvania, while Attidore grew up in Virginia. In 2002, the singers recorded their debut album, The Love of Music, for their own independent label, Kimmy & Klassé Music. For two years, the CD was only sold at Kimmy & Klassé's live performances (most of which were on the East Coast). But in 2004 -- the year that marked the trio's tenth anniversary -- The Love of Music began to enjoy national distribution in the United States. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi