DONNY HATHAWAY - LIVE

Donny Hathaway's 1972 Live album is one of the most glorious of his career, there are tunes from his debut album Everyting is Everything and his second album "Donny Hathaway". It was recorded at two concerts: side one at The Troubadour in Hollywood, and side two at the The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.
There is a great feeling between Donny , his musician and the public. I really like his voice and the soul he put in his music. There is a spiritual intention. Donny has a smoky and pleading voice, some of soul expert say that it is one of the best to ever grace a soul record.

Donny Hathaway - Live (Full Album)

Track Listing

1. "What's Going On" (Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye) - 5:18
2. "The Ghetto" (Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson) - 12:08
3. "Hey Girl" (Earl DeRouen) - 4:03
4. "You've Got a Friend" (Carole King) - 4:34
5. "Little Ghetto Boy" (Derouen, Eddy Howard) - 4:29
6. "We're Still Friends" (Hathaway, Watts) - 5:12
7. "Jealous Guy" (John Lennon) - 3:08
8. "Voices Inside" (Everything Is Everything)" (Richard Evans, Philip Upchurch, Ric Powell) - 13:47

Some story
His grandmother was a Gospel singer and she motivated him to sing since he was 3. He grew up St Louis Missouri in 1945 and came in Chicago in 1967 and started to collaborate with some great artists like Aretha Franklin and Curtis Mayfield. 

He was a big friend of Roberta Flack  he met during his studies at Howard University In Washington DC. They soon joined together in a song releasing "You've got a friend" which was a big hit in the US (more than 500.000 sales).  He made a full album with her but it was release after his two first album in 1973.
I was surprised to learn that Donny was a depressive person and that it started to affect his carreer after the release of this first  album with Roberta has also been problematic for some time, they finally arrange problems but he died in 1979 after a fall from the 15th floor of his hotel room in New York. Suicide is suspected..

From the discography
There are some great Donny Hataway song you can find on the differents albums of its discography. For me most of the very good one are lives records because you can feel the interaction with the public clapping in the hands and the musician speaking together. That is why I specially like the live record.

Donny Hathaway - Sugar Lee/ Everything is Everything  (Debut LP Album/ 1969)
The debut album Everything Is Everything sounded like nothing before it when i was released in 1969, there are a a lot of musical brilliance brought by Hathaway rich, emotive voice, testifying to the power of love and religion with few, if any, concessions to pop music. I  specially like "Sugar Lee"

Donny Hathaway -  Magnificient Sanctuary Band / Donny Hathaway (2nd Album-1971)
The second album is much more dark and nostalgic. Most of Hathaway's performances are slow that is why I probably would only add the fifth track Magnificient Sanctuary Band which is the only one Up tempo song of the album. There are some nice influenced Gospel song but it is not so interesting for me.

 

Donny Hathaway - Valdez in the Country / (Extension of a Man 1963)
This 3rd solo album has an orchestral grandeur, some say it is Donny Hathaway most ambitious LP.
The album starts with  a six-minute orchestral piece titled "I Love the Lord; He Heard My Cry Pts. 1-2.""  Arranged and orchestrated for 45 musicians by Hathaway himself. The album is interesting but not my favorite one. I specially like track n.4, Valdez in the country, a  jazz-fusion jam with Hathaway illustrating on electric piano his excellent improv capabilities.

La Musica en Verite / @Manudehemptinne