These Songs For You, Live! (CD)

• Category:  Music  »  R&B  »  Atlantic Soul
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: June 8, 2004
• Label: Atlantic (USA)
• UPC: 081227807528
• WAPI (Tower ID): 106395373
• Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
• Tower.com Sales Rank: #8575 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #552 in R&B (See Top 100 R&B Bestsellers)
• #5 in Atlantic Soul (See Top 100 Atlantic Soul Bestsellers)

Rolling Stone (pp.182-3) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[The album] displays the passion and charm that have inspired artists from Alicia Keys to the Neptunes..."
Down Beat (p.77) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Plugged-in pianist Hathaway and his outstanding band absolutely wallop a Hollywood club audience with the Afro-Cuban musical excitement of his r&b hit 'The Ghetto'."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.124) - 4 stars out of 5 - "With its smoky timbre and supple, gospel inflections Donny Hathaway's voice is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful soul music has ever known."

2 LPs on 1 CD: DONNY HATHAWAY (1972)/IN PERFORMANCE (1980)

Personnel: Donny Hathaway (vocals, piano, electric keyboard); Cornell Dupree, Phil Upchurch, Mike Howard (guitar); Richard Tee (organ); Willie Weeks (bass instrument); Fred White (drums); Earl DeRouen (congas).

Recording information: Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY (1971 - 1973); The Bitter End, New York, New York (1971 - 1973); The Troubador, Hollywood, California (1971 - 1973); University Of California, LOs Angeles, California (1971 - 1973).

This disc culls cuts from two long-out-of-print live albums by Donny Hathaway (LIVE and IN PERFORMANCE), spotlighting concerts from 1971 and '73, and spices up the pot with a wealth of previously unreleased live material of similar vintage. We get to hear this R&B giant in full flight as he reinvents other people's tunes and lays down smoking versions of his own compositions, backed by a highly sympathetic band that includes heavyweight jazz guitarist Phil Upchurch and Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Fred White.

Hathaway's own soul-jazz instrumental "Valdez in the Country" displays the singer/songwriter's impressive keyboard skills, and "Someday We'll All Be Free" highlights his strong gospel influence. The level of soulful emotion and musical invention Hathaway brings to his intense readings of everything from the Beatles' "Yesterday" to Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" is as indicative of his one-of-a-kind gift as his considerable songwriting abilities are. The closer is another bonus interview segment where Hathaway talks about studying Stravinsky's orchestrations and taking composition lessons from jazz legend Yusef Lateef, showing the depth of his own musical vision.

This disc culls cuts from two long-out-of-print live albums by Donny Hathaway (LIVE and IN PERFORMANCE), spotlighting concerts from 1971 and '73, and spices up the pot with a wealth of previously unreleased live material of similar vintage. We get to hear this R&B giant in full flight as he reinvents other people's tunes and lays down smoking versions of his own compositions, backed by a highly sympathetic band that includes heavyweight jazz guitarist Phil Upchurch and Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Fred White.

Hathaway's own soul-jazz instrumental "Valdez in the Country" displays the singer/songwriter's impressive keyboard skills, and "Someday We'll All Be Free" highlights his strong gospel influence. The level of soulful emotion and musical invention Hathaway brings to his intense readings of everything from the Beatles' "Yesterday" to Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" is as indicative of his one-of-a-kind gift as his considerable songwriting abilities are. The closer is another bonus interview segment where Hathaway talks about studying Stravinsky's orchestrations and taking composition lessons from jazz legend Yusef Lateef, showing the depth of his own musical vision.

There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!

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