In Performance

In Performance Artist: Donny Hathaway
Label: Import [Generic]
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Format: Live
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 075678156922
EAN: 0075678156922
ASIN: B0000070S6


Release Date: 1996-03-03

In Performance


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Categories | R&B | Styles | Music
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Categories | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
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Categories | Live Albums | R&B | Styles | Music
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Tracks:

  1. To Be Young, Gifted and Black
  2. Song for You
  3. Nu-Po
  4. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
  5. We Need You Right Now
  6. Sack Full of Dreams

Similar Items:

  1. Live
  2. These Songs for You, Live!
  3. Donny Hathaway
  4. Everything Is Everything
  5. Extension of a Man

Album Description

The vocalist's 1971 live album for Atlantic. Features six tracks, including covers of Nina Simone's 'To Be Young, Gifted And Black', Leon Russell's 'A Song For You' and Al Kooper's 'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know'.

Album Details

Monumental Live Recording of the Late Soul Aritst that Includes his Inspiring Rendition of 'to Be Young Gifted and Black' and his Definitive Interpretation of 'a Song for You'.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars A good example of what NOT to do in live performances.......2007-02-08

Donny Hathaway is a great singer and songwriter, but not all that good of a live performer. It seems that his idea of giving us a good show was to simply sing the same songs rubato. As a live performance afficionado, one thing that bothers me is not having the songs modified in a simple enough way that they can be followed easily. It's also very annoying to want to sing along to the studio version and be off-beat every time because the use of rubato has changed the melody line almost beyond recognition.

His voice was good and on key through the songs, and he gave us some good demonstrations of his ability to add filler chords and notes. If he'd sung the vocal lines as they were recorded and added a few filler chords and notes, that may have made for a good live performance. But the combination of that *plus* the altered melody lines was just overpowering.

Perhaps this CD will get better over successive listenings, but as of now, I can't see it being worth more than $5.

5 out of 5 stars Powerful Performance.......2007-01-17

Not enough people are aware of Donny Hathaway, which is a crime. This man influenced more great soul singers than one can imagine. He galvanized a whole generation of dissenfranchised young men and women through his music to stand up and be counted, be proud, tap into their spirit and love one another. With just his music and that unbelievable voice. With only just six tracks, this live recording will take you to that moment in time & I dare you not to be touched by this man!!!
The best tracks are To Be Young, Gifted & Black, A Song For You, I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know & his self-penned We Need You Right Now. Listen for earnest audience partcipation & frenzied enthusiasm from the crowd. On this recording, it really works and is not in the way. Magical night!! A must have. I would give this ten stars if I could!!

5 out of 5 stars Superbly well-rounded album displaying a little bit of everything that made/makes Donny.......2006-09-09

First off, Donny Hathaway is probably the most unknown "superstar" of his era of soul. This album has a little bit of everything that is Donny- great for new fans to explore his music with. Of the million versions we've all heard of "Song For You", this album has the purest and most beautiful I've ever heard- the raw sound of a live recording made years ago, Donny's voice, and a piano....period. "We Need You Right Now" is one of two songs written by Donny and is prefaced by him giving respect to "my creator" and saying "I wrote this song two weeks ago". Religious or not, it is a beautiful song which also highlights the piano and his voice. Exactly half the tracks (1,5,and 6) are socially conscience songs which need at least two listens (one for the music and beauty of his voice and the other for the meaning of the lyrics) to completely appreciate. Maybe the best thing about this recording is that he plays an acoustic piano for half the album. The acoustic brings something to the songs that would've been lost even with the greatest of electric pianos.

5 out of 5 stars Soul of a Man Who sang like an Angel...........2005-11-12



I cannot believe no one mentions the track 'NU-PO,' the only instrumental cut on the album. This is one of the most flowing and smooth pieces of music. A latin groove that just builds with the dissolving and watery Rhodes, Not to mention the sublime Bass of Willy Weeks and the Guitar of Phil Uphcurch (Anyone for Darkness Darkness?).

I hear that there's a version of this Album with more Tracks, including a bass solo by Willy on 'Voices Inside.' Re-issue!

5 out of 5 stars A live album with the spirit an' soul of a church sermon..........2003-05-31

I can't think of'a soul singer from the '70s who could touch an' inspire an audience the way Donny did. He hadda a small, but loyal fanbase, an' they seemed to jus' ADORE e'ything he did. His previous live album set the bar for other live albums to come after it, an' it has yet to be surpassed in my eyes. But, Donny himself, came close right here. The dark, moody an' rugged sound of 'Donny Hathaway Live' has been replaced with a breezy, more spiritual, an' in someways more fulfilling sound as he delves into standards like the opener 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black' exuding so much passion in his voice an' playing it will bring a tear to your eye; this is an example of a live version completely BLOWING away the studio version. One'a my personal favorites 'A Song for You' he approaches with such calm an' heartfelt easiness an' builds it up as it goes along, bringin' out all the heartache, pain, an' redemption of an unfixable-relationship that can only be saved by two good souls willing to be there for one another; the way Donny sings this one, it jus' utterly buries me. After the extended lightly-funky instrumental 'Nu-Po' he brings the house down with the dour n' bluesy 'I Love You More than You'll Ever Know'; the high-hat on the backbeat jus' thumps an' thumps hauntingly an' hypnotically while Donny brings the song to it's crashing, thunderous climax, leaving the audience breathless. The real pinnacles of the album come in the final two numbers: on 'We Need You Right Now' he speaks volumes about the state of humanity an' the world, praising, beggin' an' pleadin' for spiritual intervention. Is' one'a the most powerful performances I've ever heard, an' is' not so much the lyrics themselves as it is the way he sings them. When he cries 'dem passionate cries about people goin' hungry an' not even havin' clothes to put on, an' man bein' outta hand with his evil ways, you jus' wanna stand up an' yell "TESTIFY!" 'cause you know is' the truth. Whether it be in the '70s or here in our time is' the truth, an' as long as there have been poets an' singers that have been urgin' for change an' love, is' a damn shame nothin' has been done about it. If you love this man's work, you'll wanna own this album for that number alone, 'cause is' only available here. He touches the audience one more time with the breezy, laid-back 'Sack Full of Dreams', a song that more or less explains the wonderful heart that Donny had. Is' the kinda song I hope one day when I'm dead an' gone, my friends an' family will hear an' think of me, an' know that all I ever wanted was to bring some harmony to my people. I've already told a lotta my peoples that I want it played at my funeral (along with 'Lord Help Me' also by Donny).

To me, this man spoke volumes about so many things an' is the most underrated talent music has ever seen. Is' tragic the way he died, an' when you listen to these beautiful, life-affirming songs, especially 'We Need You Right Now' an' 'Sack Full of Dreams' it makes me all the more sad that he went out the way he did. Luckily he left behind a brief, but powerful legacy of some'a the greatest music ever recorded, an' has inspired more of today's contemporary singers than most may realize. He is my ALL-TIME favorite singer, an' this album is yet another testament to his power.

Music:

  1. Back for More ~ Shawn Desman
  2. Throwback ~ Boyz II Men
  3. Beautiful World ~ Take 6
  4. Everything ~ Joe
  5. The Best of the Stylistics, Vol. 2 ~ The Stylistics
  6. T.E.V.I.N. ~ Tevin Campbell
  7. 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection ~ Peaches & Herb
  8. Through the Fire ~ Peabo Bryson
  9. Mandrill Is ~ Mandrill
  10. To Make Me Who I Am ~ Aaron Neville

Music

Music

Music CD

Quiere Mi Son Hablar ~ Orquesta Aliamen

Mestizzo ~ Mestizzo

Willie P. Richardson - Phone Pranks Greatest Hits ~ Willie P. Richardson

Motor City Moments ~ Regina Carter

Mode for Joe ~ Joe Henderson

I've Got the World on a String ~ Jennifer Ware

20 de Coleccion ~ Javier Solis

10 Años Cantandole al Amor ~ Emmanuel

Esto Es Lo Nuestro: 20 Exitos ~ David Lee Garza

La Sonora Matancera con Vicentico Valdes ~ La Sonora Matancera & Vicentico Valdes