ARTIST: Gladys Knight
TITLE: Before Me
LABEL: Verve Music Group
GENRE: Jazz
BITRATE: 188kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 52min total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-06-06
RIP DATE: 2006-04-26
Track List
----------
01. Do Nothing Till You Hear From 3:56
Me
02. The Man I Love 4:22
03. Good Morning Heartache 4:25
04. Since I Fell For You 3:51
05. God Bless The Child 4:54
06. This Bitter Earth 4:06
07. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't 4:24
Good)
08. Someone To Watch Over Me 4:54
09. But Not For Me 4:00
10. I'll Be Seeing You 3:56
11. Stormy Weather 4:26
12. Come Sunday 5:34
Release Notes:
Before Me, will be Gladys Knights debut recording on the venerable Verve Records label.
The album is a heartfelt homage to the great legends of song who paved the way for her
to become a legendary performer in her own right. Many of these artists, including the
likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and Lena Horne, were friends,
mentors, colleagues, of Knight since the beginning of her career, and all gave her
immeasurable inspiration, courage, and strength.
When a woman like Gladys Knight turns her attention to the classics that inspired her,
the listener is in for a once in a lifetime experience. Recorded in New York and Los
Angeles and helmed by Grammy« winning master producers Tommy LiPuma (Diana Krall,
Natalie Cole, Al Jarreau, George Benson) and Phil Ramone (Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles,
Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett), Before Me finds Knight interpreting timeless material.
From the righteous blues of ôGod Bless the Childö and a bossa nova-kissed ôThe Man I
Loveö to the spirit-sending ôCome Sundayö and brassy ôI've Got It Bad (And That Ain't
Good),ö it's clear that Knight's voice is as clear, strong, and expressive as ever.
It's also clear how near and dear to her heart this project has been. ôAs I was getting
this music together,ö Ms Knight reflects, ôthe title, Before Me, just rang in my head.
I was impressed to make a reference to those glorious performers that set the pace for
me to be a part of this industry- from the great ladies of song Ella Fitzgerald, Billie
Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone and Mahalia Jackson
to supremely talented gentlemen such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Sammy Davis,
Jr. These people made great strides not just with their music, but because of who they
were as people. I salute these wonderful artists that set it up for me to do the
extraordinary music that makes up Before Me.ö
LiPuma and Ramone surrounded Knight with the cream of the jazz universe, including the
renowned Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra for this special Gladys Knight recording, plus
musicians such as saxophonist David ôFatheadö Newman, peerless keyboardist Joe Sample,
trumpeters Roy Hargrove and Chris Botti, and guitarists Russell Malone and Anthony
Wilson. The impeccable production and masterful arrangements by John Clayton and Billy
Childs help craft a record that can truly be called a revelation. Knight comes out
swinging on a grand version of ôDo Nothing Till You Hear From Meö and then softens the
mood with a tender rendition of ôThe Man I Love,ö an intimate ôGood Morning Heartache,ö
and a gentle ôSince I Fell for You.ö One of the album's highlights is a powerful,
bluesy interpretation of Billie Holiday's ôGod Bless the Child.ö Other standout tracks
on the album include a cinematic telling of ôSomeone To Watch Over Meö and an
unforgettable ôStormy Weatherö punctuated by incredible horn arrangements. Some of the
other classic tunes treated to Knight's golden voice include ôThis Bitter Earth, a
lesser known song by Dinah Washingtonö ôI'll Be Seeing You,ö and ôBut Not For Me.ö The
record closes with the Duke Ellington-penned ôCome Sunday,ö a poignant and
inspirational song of faith.
Gladys Knight is a true living legend of modern music. She is a six-time GRAMMY« winner
who has had number one hits in a wide variety of musical genres including pop, R&B, and
adult contemporary, performed on Broadway, appeared in films, and is a member of the
Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. While this is not her first foray into the world of the
classic American song repertoire (she studied and performed in a jazz band in Atlanta
as a youngster), she is taking a strong new step with Before Me, as she pays her
respects to those who inspired, challenged, and supported her along the way.