Quite simply one of the best live albums ever recorded.
Recorded in two intimate clubs better known for their showcasing of folk and rock, The Troubadour in LA and The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, this live album enhanced Donny Hathaway’s reputation. It frequented the US charts in tandem with the album he’d cut with Roberta Flack and established him as one of the greatest writers and performers of his generation.
There is nothing perfunctory about this live set. Supporting Hathaway’s vocals and electric piano are guitarists Phil Upchurch, Cornell Dupree and Mike Howard. Behind them is a watertight rhythm section with Willie Weeks on bass, Fred White on drums and Eric DeRouen on congas. Between them, they electrify material from Hathaway’s first two albums as well as You’ve Got a Friend from the album with Flack. Carole King’s song becomes like a hymn, with the audience singing the chorus. Recorded live solely for this album was Hathaway’s version of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy, performed with barrelhouse piano and a swaggering groove.
Lees de rest van deze review op BBC CD recensies (Engels)
Bron: BBC Music