Feeling Good - Randy Crawford & Joe Sample

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Crawfords sublime vocals backed by Sample's piano and arrangements .
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

In the 1960s Joe Sample was a founder member of the influential jazz funk combo The Crusaders. Having learnt to play the piano at the age of five, his musical roots were to develop under the influence of many different traditions, including gospel, soul, blues, Latin, and classical music. Randy Crawford drew from a similar musical heritage but mainly comes from a gospel background. She gained notoriety with a number of solo hits (Rainy Night In Georgia, You Might Need Somebody, One Day I'll Fly Away) in the early 1980s but was unable to sustain chart success and for many has subsequent years had a fairly low profile. 'Feeling Good' produced in 2006 can be seen as a reunion of these two artists. It is an album on which they have reignited the special chemistry that was first set alight in 1976 when Sample played on Crawford's debut album, 'Everything Must Change' and when Crawford was later invited to perform with The Crusaders by singing the classic 1979 smash hit 'Street Life' - a song written especially for her by Sample and a track used more recently to great effect on the soundtrack of Tarantino's film 'Jackie Brown'.

I've never been particularly into American soul music but Randy Crawford has a voice that sends tingles up and down my spine and on this album her quivering smoky vocal is enhanced beautifully by the Sample's outstanding piano playing skill and expert instrumental arrangements. A lot of credit also has to go to the immaculate contributions made by the other musicians, principally Christian McBride on bass and Steve Gadd on drums. 'Feeling Good' is an album that clearly expresses Joe Sample's continuing enthusiasm to experiment in different styles and genres and reflects his enjoyment of performing with different artists. In the past Sample has performed with the likes of Marvin Gaye, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner and BB King. But on this CD he seems to be playing with only one purpose in mind: to enhance the astonishing qualities and versatility of Randy Crawford's voice. As Sample himself has remarked, his intention was to make the musicians 'touch their instruments in the same way that Crawford is able to touch her vocal chords'.

The combination of vibrant vocals and sparse instrumental arrangements on this CD is at times simply spellbinding. The collection of classic tracks include Latin influences such as the gentle samba rhythm of 'Rio de Janeiro Blue' and the sensuous Bossa Nova swing of 'End of the Line'. There are more traditional forms such as the bluesy Billie Holiday cover "Tell Me More and More and Then Some" and the warm embrace of 'Save all Your Love For me' on which Sample's mastery on piano keys highlights and exquisitely enhances Crawford's voice. These tracks are set alongside jazzy interpretations of more popular numbers such as Harry Nilsson's 'Everybody's Talkin' and the Leo Sayer hit 'When I need You'. I initially found the latter to be the one less appealing track on the album, but after a few listens Crawford's sublime Gospel-like vocal goes a long way to obliterating any resonance of the cheesy Leo Sayer original. The fluctuating funky Caribbean rhythms on Nina Simone's See-Line Woman is a beautifully rendered composition as is the seductive ballad 'All Night Long'. But this isn't merely an album of modern jazz interpretations; listen out for a sample from The Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" on the interpretation of Peter Gabriel's 'Love Town'.

There are two rearranged songs on the album that Crawford has previously recorded, the above mentioned 'Rio De Janeiro Blue' and a more intimate version of 'Last Night At Danceland' originally recorded in 1980. The best track on the album though, is arguably the up-tempo opening track 'Feeling Good'. This is an optimistic interpretation of a song that was originally written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1965 musical 'The Roar of the Greasepaint - the Smell of the Crowd'. Here Crawford's voice is in its element and is meticulously complimented by Sample's vigorous staccato piano solos and a unremitting rhythm by bassist Christian McBride on Bass Steve Gadd on drums. .

'Feeling Good' is an album built to last. It is a CD that you can play repeatedly, knowing each time you will hear something differently, some previously unnoticed subtle nuance. It is an album that expertly expresses the art of song interpretation and one where Crawford's soulful vocal set against Sample's seductive instrumental arrangements will draw you in and make you believe in the truly dynamic magical chemistry of these two artists.

Tracks:
1. Feeling Good
2. End of the Line
3. But Beautiful
4. Rio De Janeiro Blue
5. Lovetown
6. See Line Woman
7. Tell Me More and More and Then Some
8. Everybody's Talking
9. When I Need You
10. Save Your Love For Me
11. Last Night at Danceland
12. All Night Long
13. Mr. Ugly

Although the CD was released in 2006, it's still quite expensive to buy at over a tenner from Amazon.