5 Songs Guaranteed To Make You Feel Good

1. Happy Song - Victor Wooten (Palmystery)

2. Ain't Gwine To Whistle Dixie (Any Mo') (Live) - Taj Mahal (The Best Of Taj Mahal)

3. Anything's Possible - Jonny Lang (Turn Around)

4. Another Day - Jamie Lidell (Jim)

5. Breezin' - George Benson (The Essential George Benson)

Lucky Peterson - A forgotten legend

About a year ago I had the pleasure of catching Lucky live in Montreal. He was just fantastic. Only about 30 of us turned out but he just came out and said 'If there's only one of you out there I'm going to give you the best show I can give because paid your money and you took the time to come out and see me play'. He then tore through an awesome selection of grooving and rocking numbers, sometimes on the organ, sometimes on the axe. As a seemingly unsolvable technical hitch threathened to derail the show he wandered over to his organ and played a beautiful soulful tune reminiscent of Donny Hathaway's rendition of A Song For You. He said it was a new thing he was working on so I'm still hoping to track that one down one day. Visit him at http://www.myspace.com/luckypetersonmusic and have a listen to a couple of the samples there. He's probably blues with some soul mixed through rather than the other way around. He may appeal to Taj Mahal fans from listening to a track of his recent stripped back approach there. I have Tete a Tete which was an album he did with guitarman Andy Aledort. If you're into what you hear then this album might be a good pick-up to see some of his electric blues that he's famous for and to enjoy these two riffing off. He's sadly become another example of the older player who is the complete package but has dropped out of the public's thoughts. Give him some of your attention and you'll be rewarded.

All-time Singers: Donny Hathaway - part 1

No better place to start than the king of all singers. I tell anyone who will listen, that Donny is top of my list. So much depth, his voice seems to hit me on multiple levels from one note. Incredibly talented, can riff and use variations as much as anyone, but the key with Donny is how he is selective he is with using his voice and picking his moments. We get so used to hearing the latest R&B/Pop singer sing every note to within an inch of its life that I think it turns some listeners away. Just because you have it you don't have to flaunt it at every opportunity. Donny seems to know when to let it ring, when to cut it short, and when to rip it out when it needs a heavy dose of emotion. Everyone seems to have a handful of those moments in life when something significant happens and you can remember everything about the experience - where you were sitting, what you were looking at, the time of day, the weather, etc. One of these rare memories was made for me the first time I ever hear Donny sing. I had never heard such a rich, soothing vibrato mixed with the phrasing only developed through a life grown up singing in church. But it was also a haunting blues. I could go on forever, but I knew I had stumbled across something that would stay with me. So a little pre-warning here is that I am going to unashamedly heap gratuitous praise on every tune I talk about with this man. I will start you at the point I started at - Donny Hathaway Live. The first song straight up is What's Goin' On, Marvin's ground-breaking masterpiece. It's jazzy, and we're right there with him as he leads us into the thoughts of a changing generation. It's been said a million times, but it's as relevant today as ever. I will forever cherish Marvin's original, but Donny is in one of those rare categories where the artist seems to make every cover their own. He wrings feeling and expression out of some of the phrases that even Marvin leaves behind. I can't pick it over the original, but it's an interpretation I believe sits beside it rightfully. I have actually read of this version reviewed negatively. But then again the same reviewer accuses Donny of trying to sound like Stevie, which of course is nonsensical if facts are checked. The Ghetto is just one of the all time jams and I feel like I could stay in it's groove all day. I've heard George Benson cover this on a live dvd I have and loved it. There are very few artists alive today that I think I could approve of covering before listening, but my main man George is in there. Willie Weeks (AKA the Baddest Bassplayer in the country) is laying a feel like no other. How you conceive of such a seamless funk run I have no idea. Hey Girl is probably my least listened to track on the album. But it's still killer. It's jazz on a warm summer day. You've Got A Friend just blows me away with its soul. I imagine song-writer Carole King  must smile when she hears Donny lead the audience into the chorus like a preacher leading his congregation into prayer. He asks for help and it seems that every person in that room gives their all. Sent shivers down my spine that one. Little Ghetto boy just keeps growing on me even after I love it, and is one of the best examples of  Donny's story-telling ability. I think anyone who's lost love feels a lot upon listening to We're Still Friends. There's a decent heartfelt rendition of this here from one of the rare great Aussie soul singers Gary Pinto - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7hezj6QPco&p=9FF825993AB6BFE7&playnext=1&index=3
Jealous Guy is the quintessential display of Donny's vocal prowess. If I only have one song to play someone if they're interested, this is probably it. Donny just launches into the second verse. I have heard others cover Donny's version but I think it may be untouchable. We round it out with another jam Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything) and Donny gets to let loose on the organ he loves so much. So that's a brief look at that album in particular, no better starting point. I will be going in to the rest of his work in the coming weeks.