Genre: soul
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Concert In Blues
Company: Motown
Catalog: M6-854 S1
Year: 1976
Country/State: Los Angeles, California
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4456
Price: $9.00
Cost: $66.00
I recognized Willie Hutch's name as a writer and producer (The 5th Dimension, The Jackson Five, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, etc.) and bought this album thinking it was a live set.
In spite of the title and the packaging, 1976's "Concert In Blues" is a studio collection. Produced and arranged by Hutch, the album serves as a decent introduction to Hutch's multitude of talents. Musically the set's quite diverse with Hutch showing an ability to handle blues ('Stormy Monday'), light funk ('I Finally Made the Headlines') and even adult contemporary material ('Stormy Weather'). For those of you who haven't heard him, Hutch has a nice bluesy voice, that occasionally recalls Bobby Whitlock ('I Wish You Love'). If there's something to complain about, it's the needless over-orchestration that all but drowns tracks such as 'Baby, Come Home'. Still, an enjoyable, if largely forgotten mid-1970s slice of Motown history.
"Concert In Blues" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Party Down (Frank Hutch) -
2.) I Finally Made the Headlines (J.W. Alexander - J. Anderson) -
3.) Baby, Come Home (Willie Hutch) -
4.) Stormy Weather (T. Koehler - H. Arlen) -
5.) I Wish You Love (A. Beach - C. Trenet) -
(side 2)
1.) Come On Let's Do the Thang (Willie Hutch) -
2.) Don't Let a Little Money Keep YouACting Funny (Willie Hutch) -
3.) Stormy Monday (T-Bone Walker) -
4.) Precious Pearl (Willie Hutch) -
5.) Shake, Rattle and Roll (C. Calhoun) -