Customer Reviews

Say Yo' Business: Live!

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
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This is an amazing cd that captures the magic of the live performances of Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. If you like spirited, heartfelt, get up and get dancing kind of music buy this one. It starts with an incredible rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing that combines African drumming wit ha gospel choir sound. It continues on with an amazing jam in tribute to James Brown. There are wonderful guest performances by Wilson Pickett, Laura Love, Eric Bibb, Kelly Joe Phelps, Odetta and more. Linda Tillery is one of our true musical treasures.

WaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaY back when, Linda Tilery was singer in a San Fran horn rock band called The Loading Zone who had two RCA albums in 1968 and 1969. The Loading Zone is a decent slice of the genre, and "Can I Dedicate" from the album became a jazzy instrumental FM stand by if not staple of early west coast progressive radio. The second album seems to have dropped off the face of the planet.

I thought you might like that, even though what Linda Tilery did when people really did come to the bay with flowers in the hair has little to do with this 2001 album: EXCEPT that if you think age ALWAYS takes its toll on a singer's pipes, Say Yo' Business will prove that ALWAYS is just not true.

In fact, quite the opposite, and if you don't believe me, grab that first Loading Zone album when you buy this, and you'll hear how years--lifetimes if you think of 1968-have made Tilery an exponedentially better singer. If on Loading Zone she makes the mistake many young singer's make--over emoting with a young voice that has not yet developed enough husk, her rich voice is perfectly used on Say Yo Business. Tilery's instrument is buffered, powerful, deep natural and completely confident.

Say Yo' Business is Tilary singing gospel, funk, soul and blues with a big chorus of back up singers. The sound is incredibly natural, and the album works as a fusion of traditional and modern--clean continental sounds set to the building blocks of music that-- well, say that bands like The Loading Zone were trying to push forward way back in that very different era.

This album sounds much more primal and sticks to the roots, but roots that Tilery is incredibly potent at interpreting. The flowers in the hair have died, but then and now, this music sticks.

If you love the glory of the human voice, round, warm and sweet, it is all here. The best Wayfarin' Stranger ever ever. I'll Fly Away flies away, complete with harmony, feeling, lift and lilt. Clarity of expression and joy of sharing that clarity. Singing, swinging, moving the earth, swaying the clouds and rocking the ocean. Get this.

If you like Benny Goodman get this one!!!