In Brief

*** Gene Rice, “Just for You,” RCA. There’s much to be said for R&B; traditionalism, and Rice is an especially adroit practitioner. His husky, let’s-get-personal persona works beautifully on two soulful ballads: “You’re Gonna Get Served” and “Let’s Get Away.” These would have sounded cutting-edge in the ‘70s R&B; lover-man era of Teddy Pendergrass. Today, they’re no less pleasing, just a bit more formulaic.