James Brown may have been the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, but the title of Hardest Working Woman in Show Business has long been up for grabs. That is, until right now.

When vocalist Stefanie Berecz joined forces with guitarist Brendan O'Connell to form the nucleus of The Right Now, she had not yet found the perfect musical complement to her astonishingly soulful and virtuosic voice. Stefanie Berecz is 23 years old, but she has the talent, ability, and the work ethic of an industry veteran. She has achieved career peaks that performers twice her age never get to experience, opening for Mary J. Blige and appearing on MTV's hit series, "Making The Band." As fate would have it, O'Connell's songs had a quality at once both classic and contemporary—a description that applied equally to Stefanie's voice. The chemistry was instantaneous, and Stefanie agreed to join O'Connell's band, Eli Jones. As the musicians solidified their bond, the outfit was rechristened with its current moniker, The Right Now.

The name is a fitting one. Berecz's voice, evoking Alicia Keys and Chaka Khan with a unique melodic sensibility of her own, places her at the forefront of new R&B vocalists alongside Keyshia Cole, John Legend and Corrine Bailey Rae. There is nothing retro about Stefanie Berecz--which is not to say that The Right Now don't tip their hats to their musical roots. Stefanie's vocals float on a warm concoction of Stax-like horns and trebly guitar vamping that recalls Steve Cropper and Curtis Mayfield.

All these qualities are out in full force on the group's debut album, Eli Jones' Make it Right. Since that album's release, The Right Now has toured extensively and has racked up radio and television appearances along the way. With their next album set for release this summer (recording with Steve Gillis and Vijay Tellis-Nayak at Transient Sound), and several national tours and festival dates to follow that release, The Right Now is poised to garner the national attention that they deserve.