bubinga5 Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Thought that might get your attention...but i stand by my claim.. ive always thought Donny Hathaway has the best voice of all the greats...to me his voice is pure power and control...a bit like Aretha...Probably my favorite album that i have ever owned is Donny live with Willie Weeks.. The best bass playing ive ever heard IMO...i love Willie's note choices and total groove playing on the tune below.....for me it doesnt get any better than this....This album had such an affect on me when i started to play bass, and its stayed with me ever since.. Donny's version of Marvins 'Whats Goin On' on this album is supreme also... Donny was the man... for me, he was a man/musician, that didnt let himself become, what he could have been.. . anyway, im sure you heard this before... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUSknnYo77g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUSknnYo77g[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray5 Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 [quote name='bubinga5' post='558240' date='Aug 2 2009, 05:21 AM']Thought that might get your attention...but i stand by my claim.. ive always thought Donny Hathaway has the best voice of all the greats...to me his voice is pure power and control...a bit like Aretha...Probably my favorite album that i have ever owned is Donny live with Willie Weeks.. The best bass playing ive ever heard IMO...i love Willie's note choices and total groove playing on the tune below.....for me it doesnt get any better than this....This album had such an affect on me when i started to play bass, and its stayed with me ever since.. Donny's version of Marvins 'Whats Goin On' on this album is supreme also... Donny was the man... for me, he was a man/musician, that didnt let himself become, what he could have been.. . anyway, im sure you heard this before... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUSknnYo77g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUSknnYo77g[/url][/quote] While I can't quite bring myself to agree with you that Donny was better than Stevie, I will certainly say that he was as good as Stevie - in a different way! (How's that for a cop-out? ) Seriously though, I've often talked about Donny Hathaway's voice being on a par with Stevie Wonder. Tone, expression, phrasing - all top-notch. I have the live album too and it's always been one that I've said: "I wish I was at that gig!" I also have the Donny Hathaway album 'Extensions Of A Man', which shows the extent of his genius for composition and arrangement. This guy was certainly more than just a soul singer. One of his finest moments for me was 'Someday We'll All Be Free'. Chord sequence (esp. the chorus), trumpet solo, bass lines.... Ok - I shut up, you listen: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted August 2, 2009 Author Share Posted August 2, 2009 [quote name='Stingray5' post='558563' date='Aug 2 2009, 04:09 PM']While I can't quite bring myself to agree with you that Donny was better than Stevie, I will certainly say that he was as good as Stevie - in a different way! (How's that for a cop-out? ) Seriously though, I've often talked about Donny Hathaway's voice being on a par with Stevie Wonder. Tone, expression, phrasing - all top-notch. I have the live album too and it's always been one that I've said: "I wish I was at that gig!" I also have the Donny Hathaway album 'Extensions Of A Man', which shows the extent of his genius for composition and arrangement. This guy was certainly more than just a soul singer. One of his finest moments for me was 'Someday We'll All Be Free'. Chord sequence (esp. the chorus), trumpet solo, bass lines.... Ok - I shut up, you listen: [/quote] Thats amazing S5...That was prob an exaggeration..dont get me wrong i love stevie...but when it comes to a voice..i think Donny has the edge....i wonder what amazing music Donny would have produced, if he had been with us.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithless Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 (edited) Very Jamerson'esque, Bubinga, thanks! P.S. have you checked Philadelphia Experiment? Edited August 2, 2009 by Faithless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakenewmanbass Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Donny Hathaway live is one of my all time favourite albums, I realise you were using a sensationalist headline and I think it's hard to say 'best' at that level as each of them has so so much to offer... So it's subjective but Donny's voice reaches into me just that little bit more than Stevie. But I do think they are both true true greats. It has to be said though that as a songwriter Stevie is way out in front of most of the world. I also love Donny with Roberta Flack, another of my favourite voices. Jake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 Wille Weeks ROCKS, and I love this album.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 [quote name='jakesbass' post='559023' date='Aug 3 2009, 10:27 AM']It has to be said though that as a songwriter Stevie is way out in front of most of the world.[/quote] True. But I think Donny Hathaway was a better arranger. He worked as an arranger for Curtis Mayfield at Curtom for a while. Roberta Flack had to convince him to sing and not just be a keys player because she loved his voice so much. It's strange that other great singers like Nat King Cole also had to be persuaded to sing on top of playing their first instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I just happened to be listening to this album for the N th time on the way home yesterday - Willie Weeks on the 'Voices Inside' track is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 [quote name='The Funk' post='559967' date='Aug 4 2009, 09:57 AM']It's strange that other great singers like Nat King Cole also had to be persuaded to sing on top of playing their first instrument.[/quote] And even stranger that definitely-not-great singers like myself have to be persuaded to stop singing and focus on their first instrument... One of my favourite albums ever! It's so good on so many levels. Love his cover of Jealous Guy. And Willie's tone and playing throughout is so BIG! Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxm Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 +1 for the live album - awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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