Donny Hathaway

I think the first time I heard Donny Hathaway's Live (1972) was on an old cassette tape copied from the vinyl. The tape contained all of side A as well as the first track from side B, "Little Ghetto Boy." I don't recall there ever being an "adjustment period" with the record - it was one of those albums that hooked me pretty much immediately. Couldn't have come at a better time, either - I had recently gotten into Stevie Wonder (mostly Music of My Mind and Innervisions), and my appetite for soul was at unreasonable heights.

From what I can tell about Donny Hathaway, he was a terribly conflicted man. His albums present a full range of emotions - they contain moments of both mania ("Magnificent Sanctuary Band," "Love, Love, Love") and profound depression ("Giving Up," "Little Girl"). Historical evidence tells us that he was, in fact, manic depressive - his life was cut tragically short when he removed the glass from his 15th story window and jumped to his death in 1979. Anecdotal evidence I have gathered suggests that Hathaway was painfully shy - despite his stellar vocal abilities, he insisted on singing with his back to observers in the studio. I have also heard rumors that he was a closeted homosexual - which, if true, would certainly be a source of conflict for an artist rooted in Christian music tradition. Perhaps it was the aggregate of this overall tension and conflict that imbued Hathaway's music with such depth.

Regardless of the source of his music, the fact remains that Donny Hathaway never released a bad album. Each of his records has its own merits - from the elaborate arrangements of Extensions of a Man (1973) to the delicate sadness of Donny Hathaway (1971). However, of the four solo records released during his lifetime, I have always found Live to be the finest representation of his overall talent. Outside of the studio, Hathaway shines brightly as a pianist, vocalist, band-leader and showman. Furthermore, his backing band is utterly badass. Dare I say, this is one of the greatest live soul/R&B records of all time - it stands its ground with Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club, James Brown's Live at the Apollo, and Otis Redding's Live in Europe.

Track this record down, damn it.

Today, I have posted "Little Ghetto Boy," which is my favorite of all of his recordings. The studio version is off of the soundtrack for Come Back, Charleston Blue (1972), but is surpassed by this live version. Outside of Donny's fine vocals and work on the Wurlitzer piano, listen to Willie Weeks on the bass. I've been known to turn the treble all the way down on the record just to enjoy the bass line on this track - absolutely stunning. Silly good.

Little Ghetto Boy