Leela James

Sun., June 10, 7 p.m., Odunde Festival, South Street Stage, 23rd and South streets

by Deesha Dyer

soul

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First glance at li'l Leela James, you'd never suspect such a powerful voice is about to emerge. Set to release her sophomore album later this fall, James borrows her vibe from the R&B singers of the '60s and mixes it with a few new-school elements to come up with a sound she calls "back porch soul." In 2005, she dropped her debut, A Change Is Gonna Come, which included a shaky but tolerable version of No Doubt's "Don't Speak" and the hit single "Music," which earned her a Soul Train Award nomination. James also contributed a funked-up version of "Compared to What" on that Genius & Friends Ray Charles tribute. Impressive? Of course. But that was then and, honestly, not that many people are checking for vintage-sounding soul artists anymore. Regardless, James is staying on the grind to make sure her voice will be remembered, even if she's all alone on the back porch.

Sun., June 10, 7 p.m., free, Odunde Festival, South Street Stage, 23rd and South streets, www.odundeinc.org.