Customer Reviews

The Song Lives on

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Amazon.com, I think you messed up this time...giving the assignment of reviewing this CD to someone who obviously knows nothing about jazz. Ricky Waters' review of The Song Lives On couldn't be further from reality! Joe Samples' keyboard skills will melt through you like butter. Layla Hathaway (who performs on most of the songs) has an incredible voice that I can only liken to a silk scarf wafting through a light breeze on a sunny day. Her rendition of Fever will have you boppin' through your living room! When Your Life Was Low was an poignant, spiritual song that everyone (except for Ricky Waters of course) can relate to. This is a CD that has become a valuable addition to my collection and I highly recommend it to Jazz connoiseurs and romantics alike. Really, the nerve of Amazon.com giving the task of reviewing this CD to someone whos last review was probably Blink 182! If you don't know who they are...don't ask! Ignore this non-jazz loving reviewer's opinion and buy this CD. You won't regret it.

The Song Lives On, it definately does in the form of this well composed Joe Sample-Lalah Hathaway collaboration. Sample, an R&B and jazz veteran of The Crusaders fame, provides lush bountiful paino laced tracks, that the talented Ms. Hathaway injects with feeling. Her boldfully sultry voice combines with the well crafted lyrics and emotional melodies to mesmerize the listener from beginning to end. What really works for the duo are the remakes of several standads, including For All We Know,popularized by the late Donny Hathway, Lalah's father. Ambitious as such an undertaking may be, the apple did not fall from the tree. Other stadouts include Come Along With Me, the reflective When Your Life Was Low, and Bitter Sweet. This is not just a jazz lover's cd, it is for those who enjoy easy listening, adult contemporary (whatever that means), slow R&B, or good music. The one shortcoming of the cd, is that Lalah's voice has quickened the longing of her fans want of her to return in full force. We want another album, girl! Thanks Joe.

This CD was first introduced to me 3 years ago. I still have it on my shuffle. I can't express enough how soulfull this CD is or how it touched "me" the songs were insightful. I was going through a interesting time when I was introduce to this CD and remember loving Lalah's voice it was more to me than "smooth Jazz" it was a wonderful collaboration that I hope many have and will enjoy. A must buy for listeners who enjoy good vocals with a nice blend of Jazz.

Joe Sample and Lalah Hathaway deliver a resounding one-two punch that will knock you out! The music is wonderful. Obviously, the highlight of this CD is the beautiful, rich voice of Ms. Hathaway, who is a credit to her late father, Mr. Don Hathaway. When Your Life Was Low and When Your World Turns Blue are my favorites. I am a huge Randy Crawford fan and don't like it when anyone re-does her work, but I truely enjoyed their rendition of Street Life as well. This CD is hypnotic and beautiful. I have listened to it from beginning to end a number of times and haven't tired of it yet.

Jazz will always have innovators to be thankful for: Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Holly Cole...artists that bridge genres and manage to enhance, not disorient, the jazz field. But what about classic jazz sets? Ask yourself to think of a truly original, sprited album of true jazz that was recorded in the past ten years and you'll most likely have to say, "Give me a minute..." Natalie Cole's "Take a Look," maybe? Diana Krall's "Love Scenes"? Enter Joe Sample and Lalah Hathaway's "The Song Lives On." Boasting the unbeatable elements of stellar musicianship, intoxicating vocals and impeccable taste in material, "The Song Lives On" manages to both hang as loosely and sound as classic as Sarah Vaughan's self-titled effort with Clifford Brown.

The album only contains two standards in the traditional sense of the term, and they both shine: Peggy Lee's "Fever" is the sort of song that never grows old, and Lalah offers an appropriately steamy rendition that stands well next to the distinguished versions the song has had over the years. Then there's "For All We Know," a showcase that will leave no doubt that Ms. Hathaway was born to sing jazz. In fact, her work on the project is what carries the album from the realm of promising to the status of Listening Treasure...five years after her last solo project, hearing her smoky, one-of-a-kind voice return to a well-deserved spotlight is like opening a window after a long Winter and finding a warm, refreshing Spring.

Even the more recent compositions on the record possess the same classic jazz spirit as its classics; "Come Along With Me" and the Bossa Nova-flavored "One Day I'll Fly Away," for all their haunting melodies and touching lyrics, have the capacity for becoming modern standards. Also striking is a reworking of "Street Life," a classic in its own right from Sample's days with the Crusaders, here presented in a laid-back, jam-session form that can be only created by skilled and adventurous artists feeding off each other's best elements.

The instrumentals are a treat as well, the title track and the gently swinging "Living in Blue" being the best. The only possible complaint is the sequencing; "For All We Know" would have made a perfect album-closer, and it's a little frustrating to end with two instrumentals and have Lalah's charm and personality suddenly drop out of the tail end of the record. But such a protest is petty; in an era when music is overridden with trends and even jazz isn't safe from sell-outs, we owe Joe Sample and Lalah Hathaway a considerable debt for making sure that when it comes to jazz, the song lives on.

Young, gifted, Black and truly soulful... this CD is a definite favorite of mine. I haven't bought many CDs in the past few years, but I'm happy with Joe Sample's and Lalah's collaboration. Not so surprising, since Lalah strikes me as a true artist of song, like her dad. She's not about selling out and churning out radio filler. This is her best music since, well, her 2 other CDs (Lalah Hathaway and A Moment). My favorite songs, especially when reflecting back on life and things, are Come Along with Me, When Your Life Was Low and One Day I'll Fly Away. I'm looking forward to Lalah's next CD, which I hear is coming soon!

It seems quite apparent that the overwhelming support of this CD belies the mediocre review by Amazon.com. Might be time for a career change for this critic. From the instrumentals to the vocals, EVERY cut is superb. I have been looking for Lehlah to release another CD for quite a while now, as opposed to having to get bits and pieces from her collaborative efforts with other artists. But this was well worth the wait. If you haven't done so already, do yourself a favor and pick up this CD. Your only regret will be that you didn't pick it up sooner. And Lelah, if you're listening, please don't make us wait so long for the next one. We want...no...we NEED to hear more of you. Far as I'm concerned you and Joe can get started on the next CD TODAY!

Anxiously waiting for your visit to the NY/NJ area. Preferably at the PNC Arts Center in NJ.

This is a typical example of not listening to the critics. Does this CD break any new ground? No. Is it somewhat formulatic? Yes. Is Joe Sample's playing akin to noodling? Yes. Does any of this matter? NO! This is a great CD. The songs are very tasteful - very romantic. Plus, and what Amazon misses, is that Lalah Hathaway is the daughter of the great Donny Hathaway, whose brilliant career ended prematurely when he committed suicide in 1979. She may not be the talent he was, but you have to give her a little break just because of who she is. So......light the fire, break open a bottle of wine for you and your partner, and play this CD. You will enjoy it.

WOW! When music touches your soul, and not just your sole, the songs will live on and on and...

This is such an awesome collaboration! The arrangements are fabulous, the music is beautiful, and the sultry sounds of Lalah Hathaway are soothing. I love this artistic combination of jazz, blues, R&B, and gospel!

It took me hours to listen to the entire CD because I kept replaying and swaying with many of the romantic tunes like "The Song Lives On", "Fever", "Come Along With Me", and "When the World Turns Blue". The songs create an astounding magic as they live on, and play on in your heart, mind, and CD player.

Tears came to my eyes as I listened to "When Your Life Was Low". I was so moved by Ms. Hathaway's voice because she made me feel her pain, and it seemed soooooo real. The emotions live on, too. The tears did fall when I heard "For All We Know" as it reached into my soul and into my past. This song was one of my favorites back in the days of Donny & Roberta (another dynamic duo that I miss)!

These musicians truly make beautiful music together and individually. THIS IS A MUST HEAR!

Plan and simple...this is one of the greatest jazz cds I have ever heard...simply a masterpiece