Donny Hathaway LIVE + IN PERFORMANC

Audio Remixer: Arif Mardin.
Liner Note Authors: David Ritz; Lalah Hathaway.
Recording information: Carnegie Hall, NY; Doug Weston's Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA; The Bitter End, NY.
Photographer: Jeffrey Blue Harbinger.
Arranger: Donny Hathaway.
The presentation of this 2012 release from Shout! Factory could be misleading for those who are not completely familiar with Donny Hathaway's discography. While the front and back replicate the artwork of 1972's Live -- a recording that is spellbinding no matter how many times it is heard -- one has to check the sidebar, as well as the back side's copyright and publish dates, to realize that there is more to it. Indeed, this package also contains In Performance -- a fine set consisting of recordings from the same period, but issued just over a year after Hathaway's 1979 passing. It's unfortunate that the six previously unreleased 1971-1973 cuts included on 2004's These Songs for You, Live aren't repeated here, but that's a small gripe. Live itself is a must-own for any soul fan; physical copies should never be out of circulation. The booklet's intro comes from Hathaway's super-talented daughter Lalah, while David Ritz provides the liner notes proper. ~ Andy Kellman

• Format: CD
• Genre: R&B