Timeless

Kenny Lattimore | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 2008)
• Original Release Date: September 9, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B001DZDTRC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #60,620 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

"Songs have so much power," states Kenny Lattimore. "Great songs are universal, and a great song can transcend time and speak to people all over the world. A great song can be interpreted in so many different ways and still communicate emotionally. That's what we set out to achieve with the new album, Timeless." Indeed, Kenny Lattimore's new album (and Verve debut) Timeless is a testament to the transcendent properties of classic songcraft, as well as a vehicle for the performing talents that have long made Lattimore one of the most popular and respected vocalists in contemporary rhythm and blues. Although he's known for his own songwriting skills, Timeless finds Lattimore reaching into the past to apply his interpretive abilities to a compelling set of familiar-and not-so-familiar-material drawn from a wide range of sources from the worlds of pop, R&B, rock and jazz. The eleven songs that comprise Timeless cover a broad emotional palette, inspiring Lattimore to deliver some of the most sensitive and technically accomplished performances of his career. The Al Green-penned "Something," which is updated here with timely clips of news reports, combines gospel urgency with righteous outrage. Lattimore's remarkable ability to convey tenderness and intimacy is displayed on his deeply-felt recordings of the Beatles standard "And I Love Her," Jeff Buckley's "Everybody Here Wants You" and the Norman Connors/Michael Henderson '70s hit "You Are My Starship", which is the first single from the album. Lattimore is equally persuasive when channeling the raw intensity of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way," Otis Redding's "I Love You More Than Words Can Say" and the Donny Hathaway/Van McCoy cult classic "Giving Up." With the artist delivering equally impassioned performances of songs by Marvin Gaye, Terence Trent D'Arby, Elton John and Stevie Wonder, Timeless is possibly the most personal musical statement Kenny Lattimore has ever made. "I wasn't interested in covering the same songs that have already been covered a million times, and I wasn't interested in just doing remakes. In some cases, it could be a little intimidating, and it felt like I might be treading on sacred ground. But I just kept asking myself, 'OK, what can I bring to this?' "Some of these are songs that I've loved since I was a kid," he adds, "but others I discovered in the course of doing this project. I wasn't familiar with Jeff Buckley before, for example, but I loved the song so much that I really got into his life and career and went back and discovered how amazing he was. So that aspect of it was educational for me, and I like the idea that I can pass that on to my audience." According to Lattimore, the experience of recording Timeless with veteran producer/arranger/musician Barry Eastmond taught him some valuable new lessons. "It really pushed me to expand as a singer," he states. This album really pushed me to just be more free, to throw caution to the wind and just go for it, to express whatever I was feeling at that moment. Sometimes in the past I've over-thought things and tried to make them perfect. But this project forced me to realize that Otis Redding wasn't thinking about making it perfect; he just went in and hit it and expressed how he was feeling. That was a major realization for me. After that, it became more like singing in church, because when I sing in church I sing completely free. The whole situation was very organic and natural, because Barry and I would sit down at the piano and build up the arrangements from there. It was really liberating to work that way." Growing up in a musical family in Washington, D.C. area, Kenny Lattimore began singing early in life, winning junior-high talent shows and singing everything from R&B to classical, during his high school years. After studying architecture and city planning at Howard University, he became lead singer of the R&B group Maniquin, which released an album on the Epic label. After leaving that act, he concentrated on developing his songwriting skills, resulting in his compositions being recorded by Glenn Jones and Jon Lucien. After moving to New York, Lattimore was awarded a solo recording deal with Columbia Records and released his self-titled 1996 debut. That album went Gold and spawned the hit single "Never Too Busy" and the perennial wedding song "For You," winning Lattimore a reputation as a dynamic and charismatic performer, with an image as a strong but sensitive romantic. The album's success earned Lattimore an NAACP Image Award as Best New Artist. 1998's From the Soul of Man documented the maturation of Lattimore's songwriting talent, and yielded the hits "Days Like This" and "If I Lose My Woman," as well as Lattimore's visionary reworking of the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." He moved to Arista for 2001's Weekend, and in 2003 released Things That Lovers Do, a well-received album of duets with his wife and fellow R&B star Chante Moore. The couple released a second duets album, Uncovered/Covered, in 2006.

Despite his past successes, Timeless demonstrates that Kenny Lattimore is more interested in making expressive, enduring music than pandering to momentary musical trends. "I like that Verve is a label that cares about music," he asserts, adding, "They gave me the freedom to be myself and trusted me to follow my heart. I've been in so many situations where I'd finish an album and the record company comes back and says, "We need a radio hit", and they ask you to come up with a song that sounds exactly like what everyone else is doing. With this project, I felt like the label was more interested in getting the artistry right, and then presenting it to people and allowing them to decide if they like it."

Product Description

After six years of touring and recording as a duo with his wife Chante Moore, Kenny Lattimore makes a stunning return as a solo artist with his new album, Timeless. Influenced by traditional R&B, jazz, funk, and gospel, Lattimore has become one of today's leading black male vocalists, known for his passionate, soulful and intense, yet subtle style. Lattimore puts his unique stamp on a diverse collection of classics including: "You Are My Starship," The Beatle's hit "And I Love Her" and Jeff Buckley's "Everybody Here Wants You".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 Stars, October 24, 2008

By	Ms. 90 (Maryland) - See all my reviews

Props to Kenny Lattimore for making a CD of well-known and not so well-known cover songs. When I heard his rendition of Norman Connors' You Are My Starship, I was hooked. Then when I actually gave the entire CD a listen, I wasn't disappointed. Kenny's forte is the ballads, but he's no slouch on the up-tempo stuff. I don't really care for his take on And I Love Her and Something (maybe it's the arrangements moreso than his vocals). I do like It Ain't No Use and That's The Way Love Is, but he works the stuffing out of Everybody Here Wants You, Come Down In Time, and Undeniably. The other songs are worthy as well. Ok, so worthy may not be a fair description - Kenny does his thing on Ain't No Way, Giving Up, and I Love You More Than Words Can Say. Aretha, Donny, and Otis are smiling.

This is a CD that new school adults can enjoy, if only for it's "getting your groove on" factor. Old heads, like me will applaud it for being music that we can actually listen to and understand and for the vocal quality. Older heads - I don't know. Go 'head on, Kenny - looking oh, so fabulous on the cover. Keep doing what you do!

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the greatest voices in the music industry. Buy this album. He needs to be heard., January 29, 2010

By	Jeffery Smith "vze4kyts" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased this CD after hearing the Norman Connors remake. It was so moving that I immediately got online and bought the CD. I was recently playing my iPod and the Jeff Buckley song began to play. I stopped everything I was doing and begin to listen to every note, every emotional delivery and begin to cry at the beauty of the vocals. The songs on this album are excellent. This man has one of the most awesome voices in the music industry. There is so much emotion and conviction in his performances, especially on the Jeff Buckley track 2. Everybody wants you. Every time I hear this song I feel his voice so deeply that it stirs me emotionally. Actually I tend to get stuck and put track two on repeat. The vocal performance is flawless. The vocal arrangement and sound engineering is excellent. This song will take you over the moon and back again.
As you can tell I am overly impressed with his performances of all the songs. It is a shame this material doesn't get the exposure it deserves. Thank god for record companies like Verve. Keep on doing what you are doing. We need more material like this. The world would benefit greatly if all artist could perform at this caliber. I can't praise this album enough.
I buy a lot of music but I rarely write reviews for CDs. I just fell so in love with Kenny's performances that I have decided that I am going to lobby my local record stations to begin playing at least the Everybody Wants You track. The Donny Hathaway track was always one of my favorite songs. After listening to Kenny's version I am stunned at how he could take excellence and make it better. I can say that for all of the tracks on this CD. The first time I heard the Norman Connors track I was awakened by my alarm clock which was set on WHUR-FM. It was 4:35 in the AM all the lights were out in the house and this beautiful melodic voice sailed through the air like a soft Caribbean breeze. I was mesmerized by the fact that he could redo a song that I have heard a million times and make it sound anew. I could go on and on, as you can see. The Aretha remake is beautiful. I am certain the writers of these songs are very pleased with his interpretations of their material. Kenny you done good.
Everyone do yourself a favor and buy this CD. It would make a perfect Valentine's Day gift. Play this CD with the lights low and the romance will begin. If only all artist were this good.

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless, September 7, 2009

By	Gail Morris "blues lovin' woman" (Safety Harbor, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first heard Kenny's version of "And I Love Her" on the radio and had to get online to find out who the singer was. I listened to the CD on Amazon's site and bought it immediately. I had never heard of Kenny before but I am now a forever fan. Kenny's renditions of some of the best blues songs ever recorded, like "Ain't No Way" "It Ain't No Use" and "Giving Up" trump the original versions. A beautiful, sexy CD and truly timeless.