Will Downing says illness opened his eyes

Will Downing’s latest album, “Silver,” is appropriately named: The disc marks the R&B singer’s 25th year as a recording artist. That’s a milestone anyone can be proud of, but it has even greater resonance for the deep-voiced Downing. In 2007, he faced a frightening disease that almost ended his career.

“If I were to tell you there’s no tomorrow/how would you live your life today?” he croons on the swaying “What Would You Do?,” a self-penned cut on the new album.

“That whole situation of being sick and people asking me what I was going to do next made me write that song,” Downing explains, calling from his home in New Jersey. “It was an eyeopening experience, and I feel blessed to still be here.”

Downing’s survival in the music business and his triumph in the face of a medical crisis make for compelling tales. In the case of the former, it’s the rather singular nature of his stardom that makes his story unique.

For example, the 49-year-old singer has carved out a career that has constantly simmered without ever blowing up into mass stardom. He has lots of fans and can fill venues, but he acknowledges that he is a long way from being a household name.

“I have a core following, and that’s a great thing,” he explains, in a voice so buttery he could have been a disc jockey. “Sometimes at my concerts, it will be the same folks who came to the concert the last time I was in their city. I’m very grateful for that and for what I have, but I’m not sure if that’s what the point is. You always want to get new folks involved.”

Downing’s sophisticated sound and style drive that loyal following. He has an expressive voice that brings to mind champagne, midnight skies and silk

sheets. His material often works that loverman angle: Take his moody reading of Paul Davis’ “I Go Crazy” or his dangerously smooth take on Barry White’s “I’m Gonna Love You a Little More Baby.”

“He’s got this strong African-American female following,” says Terri Scott, who runs the Internet radio station TalkingSmoothJazz.com. “His singing is geared toward love songs and romance, and he has this sensuality about him. It’s about loving women and treating them right. It’s kind of hard not to respond to that.”

He isn’t afraid to play up that aspect of his appeal. With album titles like “Sensual Journey,” “Invitation Only” and “All the Man You Need,” he isn’t shy about targeting the female demographic. He then reinforces that decision with his song choices. Some of his best-known recordings, such as his covers of Angela Bofill’s “I Try” or Deniece Williams’ “Free,” are tunes usually performed from a female perspective.

“It’s really all about saying something in your own way,” he says. “The Angela Bofill song said something I’ve always wanted to say lyrically, and I couldn’t say it any better than she had written it. And when it’s written by a female, women can claim it as their own.”

Sticking to ballads

Another reason for Downing’s success is that, quite simply, he doesn’t make bad records. Like Anita Baker, he straddles the boundaries between R&B and smooth jazz. His Gerald Albright collaboration “Pleasures of the Night,” which features standards like “The Nearness of You” and “The Look of Love,” topped the jazz chart. Impressive, but he’s also reached the top 10 on the R&B listings with such discs as “Classique” and “Emotions.”

“I’ve tried to make records that I thought were good,” Downing