Philip Bailey Essentials

Philip Bailey’s falsetto may be the most infectiously joyful sound in the world. Of course, what with his four-octave range, that’s not the only tool at the disposal of the R&B vocalist, who’s enjoyed success as a solo artist in addition to his long tenure with Earth, Wind & Fire. A worldwide hit on which he found a surprisingly compatible duet partner in Phil Collins, 1984's “Easy Lover” proved that his forte for nimble funk-pop extended beyond his time with that iconic band. Further forays into jazz and gospel demonstrated his stylistic diversity, as does his effortlessly cool reimagining of Talking Heads’ “Once In A Lifetime.”