Search - Leon Thomas, Gary Quintet Bartz :: Precious Energy

Pay no attention to the previous review

macfawlty | potomac, MD USA | 10/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I read the 1 star review before buying the CD and just didn't buy the reviewers comments. I thought I already had this on LP as I have every other LP Leon Thomas appears on including the ones with Pharoah.



First of all, these songs on here appear on VERY FEW recordings by anyone. Precious Energy is beautiful as is Sunflower... very spiritual songs. The blues songs are in slight contrast to those two songs and Leon belts the blues on Yo-Yo, Woman and Boom Boom. The jazzy numbers Cousin Mary and Close Your Eyes remind me so much of Eddie Jefferson. And there were few jazz singers that matched Eddie Jefferson. The 1 star reviewer is referring to Precious Energy when he mentions the audience singing along. Leon asked the audience to participate and they sounded really good as did he. Leon uses a variety of vocal techniques on that song as well as throughout the recording and he is pushing the boundaries. So a couple of his falsetto notes don't quite hit the tone; so what? He is not Ella Fitzgerald. He has a loose and flowing voice, and it is quite unique. It is his essence. It is the way he sings everything. Some jazz neophytes may not like his voice. So be it. Go listen to Nat Cole or Bob Dorough if that's what you prefer. All of the songs are real strong and the playing by Gary Bartz (who I love) and Bob Butta on piano are outstanding. One thing important to me is that this is a live show so that makes it even more rare recording and a must-have. I realized after I got it, I already had it on LP, but those 2,500 LPs don't get as much play as they used to."