Posts Tagged Bill Withers
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February 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
José James: Lean On Me
José James Lean On Me Blue Note (BLU) When he’s not making his own great (original) music José James is the guy you want covering you. His tribute album to Billie Holiday is a gold standard. And now he gives the Bill Withers catalogue his touch – this is more of a straight reading, a warm tribute, James’ voice close to Withers […]Archive
June 27, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Got Live Cos I Want It: 10 Important Live-in-Concert Albums In My Life of Listening
I know I’ve written about live albums before – several times, and I always will, I love live albums! – but I thought I’d give you a list of the ten live albums that I consider the most important. That is to say important to me, these lists are a chance for me to remind […]Archive
May 8, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm: Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm
Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm Jay-Vee Inc./Southbound Here’s a wonderful pairing – Robert Cray (sweet soul voice, great guitar licks) and Steve Jordan (superb drummer and wunderkind producer). Completing this perfect connection is the decision to record in the still-running Royal Studios, home of Hi Records. You know Hi from […]Archive
April 4, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Donny Hathaway Live: One Of My All-Time Favourite Records…A Masterpiece…
One of my favourite albums of all time, a true masterpiece, an album that moves me every time I listen to it – and simply one of my most-loved, most played records – is Live by Donny Hathaway. I got hooked on the album many years back – a favourite across formats (LP, tape, CD, […]Archive
July 25, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
Stubs: #115 – Soul Power, Wellington, 2009
Well it’s Film Festival time once again. And so by way of looking back I post this stub – not really all that exciting at all (though you might notice I’ve written a phone number on it, then scribbled that out…a hark back to landlines, and the days when the tickets sat next to the […]Archive
February 17, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 947
Grover Washington Jr, Winelight (1980) Been on a strange kick lately, buying up records from second-hand stores and charity shops that I’ve never heard all the way through but I feel like I know. This is one right here – almost the perfect example. I know all of the players on here, have heard them […]Archive
September 5, 2013 by Simon Sweetman
Booker T: Sound The Alarm
Booker T Sound The Alarm Concord Jazz Booker T. Jones has been the victim of a handful of “comeback” albums across the last two decades, including, originally, the re-billing of Booker T & The M.G.’s and then he recorded just as Booker T. Jones (including with The Roots backing him; no complaints there). This new […]Archive
March 21, 2012 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 1570
Michael Kiwanuka, Home Again EP (2011) People started talking up Michael Kiwanuka – I kept getting sent the clip of Whole Lotta Love. Good on him, but I just didn’t get the buzz based on that. Maybe because the world doesn’t really need any (more) Led Zeppelin covers. It was a different story as soon […]Archive
February 17, 2012 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 1616
Fatboy Slim, Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars (2000) I reckon Norman Cook/Fatboy Slim was pretty lucky in that – somehow – his back-story helped him out. His ascent as one of the big DJs came at a time when people were sceptical about the DJ that was not a musician separately – a […]Archive
January 1, 2012 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 1691
George Benson, The Love Songs (1985) I prefer the George Benson that, at a young age, played with Miles Davis and lit up the guitar on his own records. And he’s a sweet-voiced singer too, sure. But I also love a bit of the cheese. I can’t dig all of his ballads and I haven’t […]Archive
December 19, 2011 by Simon Sweetman