What Are You Listening To?

[Kazaam]

Love listening to the multitude of sound samples found here. Doubt we'll ever see records like this again. At least not on a commercial level, what with licensing fees to clear.

My rapper name would be Azzip.
Azzip is pizza spelled backwards. Pizza I enjoy to eat pizza I mean I eat it a lot.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh2_GOPGKBs[/youtube]

 

[Dennie]

Oops, one I forgot from yesterday..... :banana-rock:

Songs In The Key Of Life -- 2 Remastered CD Set

Stevie Wonder

1976/2000 Motown Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Songs in the Key of Life (1976) was the highest high point of Stevie Wonder's career. More sprawling than Innervisions and Talking Book, this two-LP-plus-EP was also less of a consistent stunner than either of those masterworks. That Songs retains an enormous amount of visionary relevance, though, is demonstrated not only in Coolio's borrowing of "Pastime Paradise" as a template for "Gangsta's Paradise," but in the cold-as-ice synthesized string quartet of "Village Ghetto Land." This is Stevie, so naturally that cut's anger is balanced by the ultra-buoyant "I Wish," "Sir Duke," and "Another Star." The 2000 reissue boasts radically improved remastered sound. --Rickey Wright

No. Title Writer(s) Length

1. "Love's in Need of Love Today" Stevie Wonder 7:06
2. "Have a Talk with God" Wonder, Calvin Hardaway 2:42
3. "Village Ghetto Land" Wonder, Gary Byrd 3:25
4. "Contusion" Wonder 3:46
5. "Sir Duke" Wonder 3:54
6. "I Wish" Wonder 4:12
7. "Knocks Me Off My Feet" Wonder 3:36
8. "Pastime Paradise" Wonder 3:28
9. "Summer Soft" Wonder 4:14
10. "Ordinary Pain" Wonder 6:23
11. "Isn't She Lovely?" Wonder 6:34
12. "Joy Inside My Tears" Wonder 6:30
13. "Black Man" Wonder, Byrd 8:30
14. "Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing" Wonder 3:49
15. "If It's Magic" Wonder 3:12
16. "As" Wonder 7:08
17. "Another Star" Wonder 8:28

A Something's Extra
No. Title Writer(s) Length

18. "Saturn" Wonder, Michael Sembello 4:54
19. "Ebony Eyes" Wonder 4:09
20. "All Day Sucker" Wonder 5:06
21. "Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)" Wonder 3:57

Total length:
1:44:54

 

[Dennie]

The Rumproller -- Remastered CD

Lee Morgan

1965/1999 Blue Note Records

Amazon.com

Lee Morgan's brassy, declarative trumpet playing often gave rise to comparisons with Clifford Brown, but Morgan had a voice of his own, highlighted by a playful, insinuating way with the beat. Those sly, rhythmic inflections may have contributed much to his hit "Sidewinder," a combination of taut, hard bop and infectious, funky R&B backbeat that has found renewed life in recent years among turntable artists. The Rumproller, written by pianist Andrew Hill, combines the same elements for comparable effect and is held together by the groove developed by Morgan and Billy Higgins, whose sparkling drum work contributed to the success of many Blue Note recordings of the period. The rest of the session is exemplary hard bop, with strong tunes by Morgan and Wayne Shorter and vigorous solos by tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and pianist Ronnie Matthews, as well as Morgan. The touching ballad "The Lady" features Morgan blowing a muted trumpet and revealing an introspective side that seldom surfaced in his music. --Stuart Broomer

All compositions by Lee Morgan except as indicated

"The Rumproller" (Hill) - 10:29
"Desert Moonlight" - 9:26
"Eclipso" - 6:56
"Edda" (Shorter) - 7:23
"The Lady" (Marshall) - 7:34

Bonus track on CD reissue:

"Venus di Mildrew" (Shorter) - 6:26

Lee Morgan - trumpet
Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone
Ronnie Mathews - piano
Victor Sproles - bass
Billy Higgins - drums

 

[Dennie]

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman -- Remastered CD

1963/1995 Impulse/GRP Records

From his formative days with Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, through the expansive revelations of his Prestige, Atlantic and Impulse! recordings, John Coltrane revealed many facets of beauty--some full of turbulence, others bathed in serenity. JOHN COLTRANE AND JOHNNY HARTMAN is probably the saxophonist's most graceful, accessible recording in a discography awash in spiritual radiance.When this album was recorded in March of 1963, Coltrane was completing a series of recordings designed to highlight his lyric strengths and the subtle accompaniment skills of his quartet. When the concept of singer was raised, Coltrane reached out to Hartman because the saxophonist considered the crooner's soothing, elegant baritone to be a musical parallel to his own singing sound.The spiritual aura and artistic empathy they achieve on JOHN COLTRANE AND JOHNNY HARTMAN is simply transcendent. Their version of "My One And Only Love" is among the most mesmerizing performances in the history of jazz, as Coltrane's majestic tenor and Garrison's syncopated bass anticipate Hartman's entrance, with his luminous timbre, poetic articulation and hear-a-pin-drop phrasing. Hartman and Tyner turn the opening verse of Strayhorn's "Lush Life" into a theatrical event, setting a bittersweet tone for the ambivalence of the main theme, while their interplay on "You Are Too Beautiful" is tenderness personified. And when the saxophonist finally sidesteps the melody to vigorously expand upon the harmonic and rhythmic implications of the changes to "Autumn Serenade," one realizes that for John Coltrane, beauty was the sum total of his very existence.

Track Listing
1. They Say It's Wonderful
2. Dedicated To You
3. My One And Only
4. Lush Life
5. You Are Too Beautiful
6. Autumn Serenade

 

[Dennie]

Meant To Be -- CD

Ramsey Lewis & Nancy Wilson

2002 Narada Jazz

An Elegant Treat March 1, 2002
By Harry N. Cohen
Format:Audio CD

This is a banner time for Nancy Wilson fans. First, the wonderful box set, Essence of Nancy Wilson, now this...a brand new cd of beautiful music.Unfortunately, Nancy only has 5 cuts on this cd, the rest are instrumentals by Ramsey Lewis.The instrumentals are all tasteful and well done, but this disc really comes alive when Miss Nancy steps up to the microphone. Peel Me A Grape, a cabaret favorite made immortal by Blossom Dearie is given a fine sexy/humorous reading by Nancy. Lots of lesser singers have tried this song and it seems the humor escapes them Nancy GETS it! A song from the Joe Williams songbook, Did I Ever Really Live is quite apropriate for Nancy at this point in her career. It is a reflection on life and mortality, sort of a Circle Game for the jazz world. It is quite moving. First Time Love by Patti Austin receives the elegant Nancy touch. The highlight of this disc for me is Nancy's killer version Of Moondance. A slight disappointment is Brenda Russell's Piano In The Dark. Nancy lingers over the verses, but rushes through the chorus. Nancy's voice on all selections is in fine shape, with some amber shadings that weren't there before. She truly souns wonderful. This disc taken in it's entirety is perfect for either lingering over Sunday morning coffee or for popping open the champagne and geting that quiet storm going.

Track Listing
1. Peel Me a Grape
2. Truthfully
3. Did I Ever Really Live
4. Velvet Night
5. Moment Alone, A
6. Moondance
7. Meant to Be
8. Piano in the Dark
9. Time Peace
10. First Time Love
11. Tanquissimo

 

[Dennie]

One of my favorite "Sunday Mornin'" albums...... :banana-rock:

Downright Upright -- CD

Brian Bromberg

2007 Artistry Records

Amazon.com

Long before the coining of "smooth jazz," catchy numbers like Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island," Joe Zawinul's "Mercy Mercy Mercy," and the Les McCann-Eddie Harris tune "Cold Duck Soup" enticed pop fans to cross over, however casually or tentatively, into jazz. Now, on veteran bassist Brian Bromberg's Downright Upright, those three songs are vehicles for name-brand smooth jazz players including saxophonists Kirk Whalum, Boney James and Gary Meek, keyboardists George Duke and Jeff Lorber, guitarist Lee Ritenour and trumpeter Rick Braun to do a little crossing back of sorts to show off their mainstream chops. Nobody will confuse the facility of their straightahead solos with real depth, however much emotion they pour into them. But it's an agreeable excursion for all concerned, with Bromberg making the most of his opportunities to lay down melodic lines. Even after the cover versions give way to originals in the same vein, the music stays lively. --Lloyd Sachs

Track listing

1. Cantaloupe Island
2. Mercy Mercy Mercy
3. Cold Duck Time
4. Sunday Mornin'
5. Hacha Cha Cha, The
6. Chameleon
7. Serengeti Walk
8. Leisure Suit
9. Slow Burn
10. Shag Carpet

 

[Dennie]

Rocket Science -- CD

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

2011 e-one Records

Amazon.com

Bela Fleck is the only musician to be nominated for Grammys® in jazz, bluegrass, pop, country, spoken word, christian, composition and world music categories. His total count is 11 Grammys® won, and 27 total nominations. Groundbreaking banjoist/composer/bandleader Béla Fleck has reconvened the original Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, the extraordinary initial line-up of his incredible combo. Rocket Science marks the first recording by the first fab four Flecktones in almost two decades, with pianist/harmonica player Howard Levy back in the fold alongside Fleck, bassist Victor Wooten, and percussionist/ drumitarist Roy Futureman Wooten.

Far from being a wistful trip back in time, the album sees the Grammy® Award-winning quartet creating some of the most forward thinking music of their long, storied career. While all manner of genres come into play from classical and jazz to bluegrass and African music to electric blues and Eastern European folk dances the result is an impossible to pigeonhole sound all their own, a meeting of musical minds that remains, as ever, utterly indescribable. Simply put, it is The Flecktones, the music made only when these four individuals come together.

I didn t want to just get together to play the old music, Fleck says. That's not what the Flecktones are about. Everybody s full of life and ideas and creativity. I was intrigued by what we could do that we had never done before. Visionary and vibrant as anything in their already rich canon, Rocket Science feels more like a new beginning than simply the culmination of an early chapter. The band now embarks on an extensive tour, and there s no telling how this new music will further develop in performance. We're going to have to have this experience together and see how everybody likes it, Fleck says. I know that we haven't even come close to exhausting the possibilities with this record, but we sure went deeper than we ever had before.

"Gravity Lane" (Béla Fleck) - 5:58
"Prickly Pear" (Fleck) - 3:49
"Joyful Spring" (Howard Levy) - 2:39
"Life In Eleven" (Levy, Fleck) - 5:25
"Falling Forward" (Fleck) - 5:08
"Storm Warning" (Fleck) - 7:57
"Like Water" (Victor Lemonte Wooten, Fleck) - 4:42
"Earthling Parade" (Fleck) - 7:58
"The Secret Drawer" (Future Man) - 2:12
"Sweet Pomegranates" (Levy) - 5:55
"Falani" (Fleck) - 6:50
"Bottle Rocket" (Fleck) - 5:53

 

[Dennie]

B.G. & Big Tea in NYC -- CD

Benny Goodman & Jack Teagarden

1992 MCA/GRP Records

Amazon.com

This collection culls 21 cuts from 1929 to 1934 featuring the clarinet master and trombone star as young, brash, and in-demand New York sidemen. The players who dot these exciting sessions are the original "young lions": Goodman (not yet 20 at the first of these dates), Gene Krupa, and Joe Sullivan came to New York from the thriving Chicago scene and were joined by other recent arrivals including Teagarden, his younger brother Charlie, Glenn Miller, and the team of Eddie Lang and Joe Venuti. These boys already knew how to swing hard, and they did so more loosely than was the predominant New York style at the time; there's a tangible sense of exhilaration on most cuts. The four cuts with the already legendary (but rapidly declining) Bix Beiderbecke are nice treats but don't quite match the intensity of the rest of this terrific set. Goodman's tone is a bit grainier than it would become, but his improvisations even at this young age are assured, easy-flowing, and joyful. --Marc Greilsamer

Track Listing
1. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
2. Dinah
3. On the Alamo
4. Peg O' My Heart
5. Sweet Georgia Brown
6. China Boy
7. Sheik of Araby, The
8. Keep a Song in Your Soul
9. Loved One - (Take 1)
10. Loved One - (Take 2)
11. Deep Harlem
12. Strut, Miss Lizzie
13. Beale Street Blues
14. After You've Gone
15. Farewell Blues
16. Someday Sweetheart
17. It Had to Be You
18. Sugar
19. Davenport Blues
20. Somebody Loves Me
21. Riverboat Shuffle

 

[Dennie]

Breath of Heaven -- A Holiday Collection -- CD

Grover Washington Jr.

1997 Columbia Records

BREATH OF HEAVEN was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance.Grover Washington, Jr. was probably the most successful "smooth jazz" artist of his generation. His blend of R&B, soul, pop, and jazz earned him a glowing reputation with consumers and "quiet storm" DJs. His discography boasts three decades of creative and heartfelt albums.At some point in most artists' careers, they find themselves recording a holiday album (or at least a tune or two with a festive theme). A funky yet serene release, BREATH OF HEAVEN is Washington's contribution to the vast canon of Christmas albums. Highlights include the title track, "Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)," which features a beautiful vocal performance by Lisa Fisher. Washington's fusion version of "I Wonder as I Wander" is also one of the standout tracks on this album, with the tenor man displaying his skill as a straight-ahead jazz soloist. Smart performances are also turned in by the likes of Will Lee on electric bass and Hiram Bullock on guitar.

Track Listing
1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
2. Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)
3. Love in His Infant Eyes
4. Away in a Manger
5. I Wonder as I Wander
6. Christmas Time Is Here
7. Magi's Song-a Child Is Born
8. Jesu (Joy of Man's Desiring)
9. Christmas Song
10. Christmas Waltz
11. Christmas Day Chant
12. Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) - Instrumental Version


Personnel: Grover Washington, Jr. (soprano, alto & tenor saxophones); Dawn Andrews (vocals, cello); Lisa Fischer (vocals); Joe Locke (vibraphone, marimba, keyboards, chimes); Billy Childs, Donald Robinson (piano, keyboards); Hiram Bullock (keyboards, acoustic & electric guitars); Adam Holzman (synthesizer); Richard Lee Steacker (guitar); Will Lee, Gerald Veasley (bass); Steve Wolf, Victor Lewis (drums); Pablo Batista (conga, percussion); Bashiri Johnson (percussion).

 

[Dennie]

Love Songs - Remastered CD

Earth Wind & Fire

2004 Columbia Legacy

Sure there's Marvin Gaye and Barry White, and even Isaac Hayes who laid out love songs in a singular fashion. These cats are all stylists and high priests of the genre. But no band better personified the love song than Earth, Wind and Fire, not even the Isley Brothers. And they are the holy order of the love ballad. Fronted by Maurice White and Philip Bailey, E,W&F took the love groove -- the one that exists between the ears as well as between the sheets -- and gave it a voice like these cats did. The 14 tracks here are the proof in the pudding that while with Columbia, E,W&F created a body of seductive, sophisticated, warm, bubbling soul that moved their body/mind continuum in a singular fashion from 1975 to 1983. It's here man, from "Reasons," to the band's self-titled theme, to "Fall in Love With Me," to "Wait," to "Love's Holiday," to "Be Ever Wonderful" (written with Brenda Russell) -- and beyond. The set ends with the classic "Wanna Be with You," capping off one of the most sultry, transcendent collections of amorous tunes from the era. ~ Thom Jurek

Track Listing
1. Reasons
2. Can't Hide Love
3. Love's Holiday
4. Be Ever Wonderful
5. Beijo (Interlude)
6. I'll Write a Song for You
7. You
8. Fantasy
9. Earth, Wind and Fire
10. Fall in Love With Me
11. Side by Side
12. Wait
13. After the Love Has Gone
14. Wanna Be With You

 

[topper]

(with Van Morrison)

 

[No-L]

:handgestures-thumbup:

 

[No-L]

 

[mzpro5]

Thought I would put some Christmas music on the 5 disc changer, first of the season.

 

[Dennie]

Light My Fire -- CD

Eliane Elias

2011 Concord Picante Records

Editorial Reviews

Since the mid-1980s, pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias has grafted various elements of jazz, pop, soul and other styles to her deep Brazilian roots to create a hybrid groove that exists comfortably on any hemisphere. Borrowing from an array of sources and singing in a variety of languages, Elias consistently forges a sound that appeals to listeners of every geographic locale and cultural persuasion. Her new album, Light My Fire - wields this universal sound to explore the various corners of the human heart - from romance and passion to the shared joy of being alive and embracing everyone into the dance of life. Along with four compositions written or co-written by Elias herself, the album also includes covers of familiar works by songwriters as diverse as Jim Morrison and the Doors, pop icon Stevie Wonder and jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond. Elias weaves it all together into a cohesive whole by injecting each of the twelve songs with distinctly Brazilian grooves that alternate effortlessly between the fiery and passionate to the cool and sophisticated.

"Some of the tunes are cool and laid back, but others are quite rhythmic and joyful," says Elias. "And they have some different grooves. I tend to gravitate toward romance - beautiful melodies, beautiful harmonies and rhythms with a great feel. But more than anything else, I'm singing about love on this record in its different aspects and dimensions. I've made more than 20 records in my career. I'm proud of all of them, but I'm especially excited about this one. It feels like it has a life and an energy all its own. With very few exceptions, nearly all of the songs were first takes. Everybody in the studio was so focused, and it was such a fun record to make. The music was really flowing, and we all felt very relaxed. From the very first day, not a note was wasted by anyone. It was an amazing experience."

Backing Elias on Light My Fire is a crew of twelve high-caliber players, including special guests guitarist/vocalist Gilberto Gil and trumpeter Randy Brecker. The rhythm section - which has accompanied Elias on several of her most recent recordings - includes guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Paulo Braga. Also on hand to sing with Elias and Gil on "Toda Menina Baiana" is Elias' daughter, singer-songwriter Amanda Brecker. New to Elias' team is percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos, drummer Rafael Barata, guitarists Romero Lubambo and Ross Traut, and flutist Lawrence Feldman.

Tracklist:

01 – Rosa Morena
02 – Stay Cool
03 – Aquele Abraco
04 – Light My Fire
05 – Isto Aqui O Que E (Silver Sandal)
06 – My Cherie Amour
07 – Toda Menina Baiana
08 – Bananeira
09 – Made In Moonlight
10 – Turn To Me (Samba Maracatu)
11 – Take Five
12 – What About The Heart (Bate Bate)

 

[Dennie]

Thought I would put some Christmas music on the 5 disc changer, first of the season.

Great selections Jeff.... :text-bravo:




Dennie bscene-drinkingcheers:

 

[mzpro5]

Thought I would put some Christmas music on the 5 disc changer, first of the season.

Great selections Jeff.... :text-bravo:




Dennie bscene-drinkingcheers:

The Rita Ford Music boxes is a favorite from my childhood. Mom and Dad had a copy on vinyl and it always brings back memories of Christmases past.

They are the huge intricately music boxes the used to make with intricate harmonies. Very nicer for an evening by the fireplace.

 

[Dennie]

One Way Out - Live at The Beacon Theatre -- 2 CD Set

The Allman Brothers Band

2004 Peach/Sanctuary Records
An awesome album... April 4, 2004
By michael byrne
Format:Audio CD

Last summer the ABB had some extra "instant live" CD's from their summer tour, which they sold through their website. I got 4, so I knew how hot this current incarnation of the band is. In spite of that, this collection still blew me away. This is as close to "Live at Fillmore East" as any live recording any subsequent version of the ABB has ever put out. Its not as good as LAFE, but it would be about impossible to be that good. But this is very good stuff here.

The chemistry between Warren and Derek right now is very similar to Duane and Dickey. This is probably my favorite all time version of Dreams, and this is my second favorite "Whipping Post", after the Fillmore East version.

The rythmn section of Butch, Jaimo, and Marc has never sounded better. Just an awesome, rolling, undulating sea of rythmn providing a foundation for Warren and Dereks lead guitar improvisations. Derek is the closest thing to Duane on slide that the world has seen since Duane passed, and Warren is spectacular.

Greggs vocals have never sounded better, and the new material from the last few years is right up there with the Allmans classics of old.

This current group still has a touch of the country sound now and then that they had with Dickey, but not as much.(On this album: "Old Before My Time" and "High Cost of Low Living", "Midnight Rider", "Come and Go Blues") That might be a drawback to a die hard Dickey fan, but the band now has actually gone back to the original sound of the group, prior to "Brothers and Sisters" when Dickey really came to the forefront as a songwriter and singer.

Disc one

"Statesboro Blues" (McTell) - 5:22
"Don't Keep Me Wonderin'" (Allman) - 4:12
"Midnight Rider" (Allman, Payne) - 3:16
"Rockin' Horse" (Allman, Haynes, Pearson, Woody) - 10:12
"Desdemona" (Allman, Haynes) - 13:27
"Trouble No More" (Waters) - 3:45
"Wasted Words" (Allman) - 7:51
"Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" (Williamson) - 9:01
"Instrumental Illness" (Burbridge, Haynes) - 16:42 (w/ 5:36 drum solo)

Disc two

"Ain't Wastin' Time No More" (Allman) - 6:29
"Come and Go Blues" (Allman) - 6:03
"Woman Across the River" (Crutcher, Jones) - 6:38
"Old Before My Time" (Allman, Haynes) - 5:37
"Every Hungry Woman" (Allman) - 5:21
"High Cost of Low Living" (Allman, Anders, Burgin, Haynes) - 8:42
"Worried Down with the Blues" (Haynes, Woody) - 7:58
"Dreams" (Allman) - 12:49
"Whipping Post" (Allman) - 15:31

The Allman Brothers Band

Gregg Allman - Hammond B-3 organ, piano, acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Jaimoe - drums (left side)
Butch Trucks - drums (right side)
Warren Haynes - lead and slide guitars (right side), lead and background vocals
Marc Quinones - congas, percussion, background vocals
Oteil Burbridge - bass
Derek Trucks - lead and slide guitars (left side)

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

All This Time -- CD

Sting

2001 A&M Records

Jazzier than typical Sting, but very beautiful, November 27, 2001
By Manny Hernandez "@askmanny" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)


This review is from: ...all this time (Audio CD)
Sting comes back with this live recording made on September 11 (he respectfully dedicates it to the victims of the tragedy). This time around he revisits tunes from all his periods (The Police, early and late solo material) but with a very jazzy feel to most of the songs.

What can be said about this album, that has not been said about Sting at some point? It's brilliant: he grabs his songs and virtually reinvents them, to the point where they sound almost like different songs. This is the case with almost all songs in this recording which, like all previous Sting works, is impeccably recorded and produced.

Particularly enjoyable I found his beautiful rendition of the Police classics "Don't stand so close to me" and "Roxanne" as well as the tracks included from his least popular album, 'Mercury Falling' and the mix of "A Thousand Years" and "PerfectLove... Gone Wrong," much in the same style of his earlier live double-album. Interesting results his Traffic-like version of his very own "If you love somebody set them free"... Grrrrooovy!!!! New tracks anyone? Yes! "Dienda" in the style of his interpretation of the Zappa song, "The Idiot *** song" which some lucky people were able to hear back during some sessions he played in Chicago several years ago.

Overall, one of those jewels that oughta become part of your musical collection.

All songs written by Sting, except where noted.

"Fragile" - 4:35
"A Thousand Years" (Kipper, Sting) - 3:02
"Perfect Love...Gone Wrong" - 4:11
"All This Time" - 5:20
"The Hounds of Winter" - 4:29
"Mad About You" (not included on the US edition)
"Don't Stand So Close to Me" - 2:15
"When We Dance" - 4:52
"Dienda" (Kenny Kirkland, Sting) - 3:12
"Roxanne" - 3:36
"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" - 4:57
"Brand New Day" - 4:46
"Fields of Gold" - 3:50
"Moon over Bourbon Street" - 2:55
"If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" - 4:31
"Every Breath You Take" - 5:04

 

[Dennie]

The Very Best of Curtis Mayfield -- CD

Curtis Mayfield

1997 Rhino Records

Timeless and perfect., June 29, 2002
By Gracejoy "gracejoy7" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Very Best of (Curtis Mayfield) (Audio CD)

Curtis Mayfield was a musical genius and this CD is a testament to his amazing ability to create powerful, engaging, funky, soulful, moving music. Mayfield is clearly the master of funk and his falsetto vocals are the baddest of bad. I have too many favorite tracks to pick just one, but I will say that "Freddie's Dead" and "Kung Fu" are alone worth the price of this CD. Most of the songs address some kind of moral or social issue and the lyrics are genuinely thought-provoking, not cliched. Some of the songs beg you to get up and dance, while others are meant for closing your eyes and just soaking it in. All of it is GREAT.

This is one of my favorite CDs of all time. If you are even remotely curious about Curtis Mayfield or funk music in general, you have to have this CD. It doesn't get any better than this.

“(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go”
“The Makings of You”
“Move on Up”
“Get Down”
“We Got to Have Peace”
“Freddie's Dead (Theme From Superfly)”
“Superfly”
“Pusherman”
“Future Shock”
“Can't Say Nothin'”
“Kung Fu”
“So In Love”
“Only You Babe”
“Do Do Wap is Strong in Here”
“Between You Baby and Me”
“Do Be Down”