In Brief

*** Chris Walker, “First Time,” Pendulum/Elektra. As a jazz bassist, Walker, just 23, has played with Ornette Coleman and the Gil Evans Orchestra, but it wasn’t until he became R&B-pop; singer Regina Belle’s musical director that word got out about his hardy, soul-fueled vocal chops. His Nick Martinelli-produced “Take Time” already crossed over to pop radio. “Someday,” a duet he performs here with Lisa Fischer, is equal proof that he’s brimming with potential.

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