Chris Pierce & Leela James - "Private Number"

So the good news is that after a couple of years away, Soul diva Leela James is back on the scene with some new music, in particular a song on the soundtrack to the movie Soul Men, which stars the recently departed Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, among others. The bad news is that the song, a remake of a '60s song called "Private Number" featuring singer-songwriter-musician Chris Pierce, is fairly weak. Leela, who's got a booming, gritty voice, can do nothing to help this limp, bland track, the plot of which consists of a man asking for a woman's number, her giving it, then the two of them harmonizing. Bleh. Maybe it sounds better within the context of the film. To stream the song, click on the link below. Oh, and if you're wondering, the soundtrack, which also features music by Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, Meshell Ndegeocello and others, drops Nov. 4 via Stax Records.

• "Private Number" audio (Windows Media)

Image © Stax Records.