It Can Happen to Anyone

Elisabeth Withers

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 30, 2007)
• Original Release Date: January 30, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000LSAJ5W
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #98,092 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
At her most soulful, as on "Simple Things," the opening track of her Blue Note debut, Elisabeth Withers is a ringer for the great Gladys Knight: same deep-throated delivery, same pent-up emotion, same thrilling release. Tony-nominated for her work in Broadway's The Color Purple, she isn't quite as impressive when she lightens her delivery in the service of a sleeker, more contemporary sound. But working with the Europe-rooted producer Toby Gad, Withers shifts effortlessly among pop and dance styles, her gospel roots shining through. It Can Happen to Anyone, for which she co-wrote most of the tunes, includes a rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings" (which Knight recorded) that cuts Bette Midler's treacly hit version. Withers trusts in the suppleness and power of her voice to avoid easy emotion. When she makes a joyous noise on tunes like "Get On Your Shoes," you feel her glow. --Lloyd Sachs

Product Description
Debut release from Tony Award nominee Elisabeth Withers. The Joliet, Illinois-born singer-songwriter wowed audiences as the seductive scene-stealer Shug Avery in Oprah Winfrey's Broadway mega-hit The Color Purple. It Can Happen To Anyone, which effortlessly goes from R&B, gospel, and pop to jazz and rock, represents a labor of love for the vocalist who has worked with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Brenda Russell, Cher, and the late, great Luther Vandross.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A SENSATIONAL DEBUT BY THE HOT BROADWAY STAR!, February 1, 2007

By	RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Five MAGNIFICENT Stars! What a singer!! What a debut!! Elisabeth Withers is already a Tony-nominated singer/actress who is now spreading her vocal wings on Blue Note. She originated the role of the very unique "Shug Avery" in Oprah's Broadway production of "The Color Purple. Her confident voice, intonation, and soulful delivery comes right out of the golden age of R&B with a neo-soul update and shows development well beyond her years. This Berklee-educated singer went straight to Broadway after stops as a backup singer for stars like Celine Dion, Cher, Luther Vandross, and Mary J Blige.

From Gospel-flavored R&B to rock to hip hop to step, her range is impressive. The "Pieces De Resistance", the best of the best songs, begin with the first 4 sung notes of the CD on the song "Simple Things" which instantly tells one this is a special voice and a talented singer. By the time the song is over, one can clearly see this young lady has great potential with a bright future. Then comes the inspirational "Somebody" which starts off funky and then she elevates it into her vocal stratosphere. A highly personalized "Wind Beneath My Wings" is sensational. "Sweat" is another winner as is the joyous "Next to You" and the jumping "Get Your Shoes On", which pours on the heat. "Be With You" is pure sensuous mellowness. What a great debut and a superb production with clear, immediate sound. Highly Recommended. Five SOULFUL Stars!!

(This review is based on an ITunes digital download of 11 tracks)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You have to buy this, February 25, 2007

By	Michael Thorpe (London UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't normally do reviews but I have had to drop a few lines for all of you that might read this. This album is so "feel good" with some brilliant lyrics and to think it is a debut album makes it more of an achievement. I live in England and stumbled across it looking for something else and I just had to get it having heard the previews. It is not available over here yet but all my friends I have played it to have asked where did I get it.
The two stand out tracks are Be With You and Listen plus a good rendition of Wind Beneath My Wings where she sounds more like Gladys Knight than Gladys Knight does. If you do not do anything else in 2007 just buy this album.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It Can Happen to Anyone, September 29, 2007

By	Geminigirl (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

I initially learned about Elizabeth Withers when I caught her video for BE WITH YOU late one night. I loved her warm, jazzy sounding vocals and immediately searched her out on Amazon. Elizabeth is an excellent vocalist whose beautiful voice shines especially on the ballads but also works on the uptempo tracks.

This is a very good debut disc and features good grown folks lyrics. The disc clocked in at a little over an hour & I think that the producers did an excellent job of song placement so the tempo changes from song to song makes sense & didn't lull me to boredome or jarr my ears.

My favorite tracks are:

IT CAN HAPPEN - excellent musical arrangement

HEARTSTRINGS & BE WITH YOU - excellent song construction on both

SOMEBODY - beautiful tribute to not only her newborn but all newborns

GET YOUR SHOES ON - one of the uptempo tracks that she really WORKS vocally

I'd recommend this disc to fans of strong vocalists - you won't hear Elizabeth on today's radio but sample a few tracks, I'm sure once you give her a chance, you'll love the whole disc.