Donny Hathaway had one of the strongest voices in Soul, both in mere vocal prowess and in his lyrical abilities. “The Ghetto”, one of his most beloved songs, is on par with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” (incidentally also a famous cover by Hathaway, as featured on this Live album) or Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up”.
Live from 1972 cemented Hathaway’s reputation as one of the forerunners of Soul, giving wonderful Jazzed-up interpretations (two of them running over the 10-minute mark) of classics. Hathaway plays with the audiences of the Troubadour in Hollywood and the Bitter End in New York like a preacher from the pulpit; their call-and-response is one of the elements that makes this album a classic of epic proportions.
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