Donny Hathaway - Live
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Music Reviews of Live
Music Review: The Definitive Donny Hathaway Album; an R & B Classic!
Rating: 5 Stars
I first heard this album in the summer of 1972 at my girlfriend's house. "Jealous Guy" was the first track I heard, and I asked my lady who the singer was. She told me it was someone named Donny Hathaway. So, I immediately went out and bought the record. Thus began my nearly 30-year love affair for this album."Donny Hathaway Live" is a joyous, but bittersweet effort. Only the classic Donny Hathaway/Roberta Flack duet album compares to the monumental achievements of "DH Live." None of Hathaway's other recorded efforts, including his 2nd live album, "In Performance," were ever able to effectively showcase his musical talents and exquisite vocals. This makes "DH Live" a gem of enormous importance in light of the new wave of '70s "old school" music currently being made by the likes of D'Angelo and Maxwell. In fact, D'Angelo's funky, but flawed "Live At The Jazz Cafe In London, 1996" sounds like a tribute to the stirring principles laid down on "DH Live."
Hathaway's album begins with a fresh interpretation of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin'On"--a bold move when you consider that Gaye's masterwork album of the same name was simultaneously on the charts and redefining the boundaries of soul at the time of Hathaway's release. Part of Hathaway's genius was his ability to successfully transform Gaye's insightful street testament into a jazzy soul sermon--a fact borne out by the reaction of the audience.
And, that's another great thing about "DH Live." The call and response between the artist and the audience is mixed right up front with the music--as if you're actually sitting in the club hearing this music for the first time. (A far cry from today's "live" recordings with muted crowd response and post-concert studio "sweetenings.") The result is an emotional experience that approaches the ferver of a church revival, as on Hathaway's take on Carol King's "You've Got A Friend."
Surprisingly, Hathaway is not the only star on this album. Hathaway describes him on this cd as "the baddest bass player in the county--Willie Weeks!" And "badd" he is. Weeks, who would go on to work with several legendary bands (including the Doobie Bros.) and artists during the '70s unleashes a funky bass solo for all time on "Everything Is Everything." Just when you think it couldn't possibly get any funkier! His top-to-bottom bass playing literally "sings" on each track.
You must remember that James Brown was still the King of Soul with Aretha as his Queen,in 1972. Motown was still at its peak. But, with "DH Live," a new, sophisticated, soul sound was emerging. It would take root throughout the '70s--inspite of the later onslaught of disco.
And then, there's Donny's voice--soulful beyond description, and with a smooth, grace-of-style untraceable to any soul artist before him. Hathaway proves himself to be a true vocal original in the soul/gospel vein.
It is unfortunate that most people who know of Donny Hathaway only know him as Roberta Flack's duet partner on a few hits. He never became a star in his own rite with the pop crowd. And, with his sad and controversial death in 1979, "DH Live" became an obscure title that was even out-of-print for a while.
Perhaps the time is now for a reconsideration of Hathaway's work, and particularly this album. Listen to "Donny Hathaway Live" again and again and again as I have over the past few decades. Soul, R & B, Funk, Jazz--call it what you want. It doesn't get any better than this. It's the definitive Donny Hathaway album--and, it's one of the greatest live dates ever recorded.
Music Review: Essential to your soul
Rating: 5 Stars
This is one of the all-time classics of soul jazz. Originally released on the Atlantic label in 1972, it is a live performance of an absolutely amazing band playing their hearts out to a very appreciative and vocal audience in what looks like a club setting. I would love to have been there. The band is Donny Hathaway on vocals and piano, Mike Howard on rythym and lead guitar, Cornell Dupree on the other lead guitar, Willie Weeks on the bass, and a conga player who I think is named Earl DeRoy and a drummer whose name I have forgotten and is uncredited. This is too bad because whoever was part of this project deserves to be remembered. Donny's vocal style is classic with changes in intonation and timbre as richly textured as Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles. He tells you part of the story of the lyrics by how he sings a phrase. This guy seems a natural wonder but his skill was probably the result of a lot of work. One of the other reviewers compares his piano playing to Les McCann: maybe a little less harmonically advanced yet technically as good and perhaps even more soulful.
Cornel Dupree was one of the great sidemen of the period and later starred in Stuff which he co-led with Eric Gale. He shines on this album with solos on We're Still Friends and Voices Inside (Everything is Everything). He has a classic Fender tone- sharp, piercing and bluesy. You can hear Albert Collins in his playing and the whole history of Texas guitar. You will notice that other reviewers mention how much Stevie Ray loved this album and band. Cornell is part of the reason why.
Willie Weeks the base player is solid thoroughout. He is outstandingly funky on Voices Inside (Everything is Everything).
Listen to the album sometime just focusing on his bass for a great lesson in the art of the groove. Heck, listen to this album sometime focusing on any of these guys for a lesson in how to play that instrument beautifully within a group context. Each of these guys knows how to make the others sound even better and they all blend into a beautiful overall group sound.
And then there is the audience. When Donny sings You've Got A Friend the audience takes up the chorus without even being asked and keeps it up throughout. Donny goes with it and basically sings around and with the audience. Very very cool. Very professional.
I have owned several thousands CDs, tapes or albums in my time. There are probably less than a hundred that I think of as being iconic, unique, and near perfect. That I would change in no way whatsoever. This is one of the few. This is a sweet and honest presentation of one man's (very large) musical soul being expressed with the help of a band of professionals whose musical skill is the effort of a lifetime in front of an audience who is very hip to what they are hearing. A stone cold soul classic.
Music Review: All Right, This Is It
Rating: 5 Stars
After a few smooth and tantalizing introductory bars to set the stage, Hathaway lets the sound decay, and you can hear a female voice way back in the audience say with absolute certainty, "All right, this is it." She is so absolutely correct. The baseline gets it moving and bam, you are into 12:18 of "The Ghetto," as thoroughly satisfying a soul/funk jam as you will ever find anywhere, complete with enthusiastic audience participation. If you can sit still through this, you might want to try breathing against a mirror and checking for condensation to make sure you're still alive.
Donnie Hathaway - Live - is one of those really rare in-person performance CDs where everything comes together, you don't just get the music, you get the sweat, the movement, the cachunk, the entire spectrum of emotion. Hathaway was not a virtuoso singer, but it would be hard to find another performer able to deliver more raw sincerity. His electric piano playing is really stellar here, especially on Hey Girl, where he weaves a hypnotic trance. Without exception, the band is loose and relaxed, completely aligned with each other and Hathaway's objectives.
The odd thing about this CD is that, despite his primary renown as a songwriter, only two of the tracks are his. However, like other true originals, he is able to take covers and bend them to his will. Hathaway takes Marvin Gaye's warhorse, What's Going On, and breathes new life into it, his rendition of John Lennon's beautiful Jealous Guy is equally compelling. It is astounding to realize that Hathaway was only 33 when he died, today he is more influential than ever. Hearing him sing "This Christmas" is one of the few compensations of being stuck roaming a mall in December.
Hathaway was, and is, the real thing. While his celebrated duets with Roberta Flack are sweet, polished, and reliably popular, if you want to experience the raw talent and heart that make him undeniably great, "This is it."
Music Review: The Birth Of Gospel Funk - Live
Rating: 5 Stars
My initial experiences with Donny Hathaway were in college in the early 70's. I liked his studio efforts, but I didn't get into them. They weren't really dance tunes, but songs with a social message coupled with a unique vocal styling. I got a much greater appreciation for him one night in the dorm room with my buddies. We pulled out our drums and congas and played along with the "Everything" album. And I GOT IT!! We played to "The Ghetto" and I GOT IT!! So when the "Donny - Live" album came out, it was a must-have. It was on the same level as Isaac Hayes "Shaft" album or Stevie's "Talking Book" or Graham Central Station's "Release Yourself" and the original "Spinners" album or the O'Jays "Backstabbers" album . . . . albums we listened to all through our college experience.
With excellent musicians, especially the incomparable Willie Weeks on bass, and that Rhodes sounding off like only it can, this album is a bonafide classic. For music afficionados, it is still a must-have item. Each song flows, despite taping in two separate venues. The crowd differences are evident between "What's Goin' On" and "Little Ghetto Boy", but no where else. But that doesn't detract from the ability of Donny to be able to divert so much positive energy into each song. It's sad to listen to considering that he's no longer with us, while at the same moment, whatever drove him to his unfortunate suicide (the depression and despair) is not evident in this performance. It is pure joy that comes through from beginning to end.
I only saw him perform on TV on a few occasions, but it was evident that he loved to perform and share his gift to the world. If you don't have another Donny album, get this one. It will show off the true genius in his favorite medium.
Music Review: Brilliance personified
Rating: 5 Stars
There are certain performers who set the standard for music of a certain genre; unfortunately, their far-reaching impact more often than not outweighs their all too brief life span. You know who I'm talking about: Glenn Miller. Hank Williams. Billie Holiday. Buddy Holly. John Coltrane. Otis Redding. Janis Joplin. Jimi Hendrix. Sid Vicious. Karen Carpenter. Marvin Gaye. Stevie Ray Vaughn. Kurt Cobain. The list is endless. But, there's another name, a name you might not instantly recognize. Someone who managed to fly under the radar but who displayed talent in so many areas - singing, playing, writing, composing. Donny Hathaway is that person. If you need a single document that represents his style, passion and brilliant musicianship, get this. The backing band is equally stunning, seamlessly veering between tight grooves and loose jams. Everyone's in synch and they know it. The tracks from the Troubador in L.A. feature a pleasant surprise - the audience! Just listen to Hathaway's powerful intepretation of Carole King's "You've Got A Friend": when the chorus starts, he and the band shift into low gear and allow the audience to sing in gospel-choiresque unison without asking! Dive into the 2 extended jams on "The Ghetto" and "Voices Inside" (check out that Willie Weeks bass line). Absolutely unbelievable. The cantering crescendo on John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" will amaze you. His love of music is readily apparent throughout each of the 8 tracks, no matter if he's making a statement with a turn at Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", or digging deep into his tormented soul for the original number "We're Still Friends". At the jaded old age of 35, I never thought I could still be moved by a single (non-compilation) recorded work. Now, stop reading my adulation and experience it for yourself.