In Brief

*** Chaka Khan, “The Woman I Am,” Warner Bros. Nobody has influenced more post-’70s female R&B; singers than Khan and Aretha Franklin. On an off day they’re still more intriguing than many of their contemporaries working in peak form. Some of the tracks here are vintage Khan: sly, sexy and assertive. “Give Me All” has a dark, incendiary groove to it, while “I Want” is a teasing little invitation with an urgent undercurrent. There’s nothing trend-setting here, but even when Khan just coasts she still manages to stay in the race.

New albums are rated on a scale of one asterisk (poor) to four (excellent).