This is a fabulous musical composition of some really funky instruments and superb musicians. It is a pleasure listening to authentic instruments and not synthesized sounds from a beat box or computer. Love it.

After hearing nothing but good things about this album, I decided to buy it from Amazon. And I'm very glad I did, as this is flat out the best Live soul album money can buy.

From the very first track, a smokin' cover of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?", to the last, an extended jam session that will get your feet moving involuntarily and your heart swelling and soaring, this album is a masterpiece. Donny's brilliant singing and virtuoso keyboard playing is backed up by a band that is as tight and solid as any you will ever hear, and they even make the cover songs, such as Gaye's classic and John Lennon's "Jealous Guy", their own.

I can' recommend this album highly enough. It just gets better with each listen, and is perhaps one of the top 5 best unknown albums of all time. if you've got this far, you know you want to buy it, so do it. You will not be sorry. Oh, and it is a great party record, and an awesome makeout record too. Five stars.

I bought this for my dad. He likes it. Donny Hathaway is soo amazing. The sound quality is good too.

After a few smooth and tantalizing introductory bars to set the stage, Hathaway lets the sound decay, and you can hear a female voice way back in the audience say with absolute certainty, "All right, this is it." She is so absolutely correct. The baseline gets it moving and bam, you are into 12:18 of "The Ghetto," as thoroughly satisfying a soul/funk jam as you will ever find anywhere, complete with enthusiastic audience participation. If you can sit still through this, you might want to try breathing against a mirror and checking for condensation to make sure you're still alive.

Donnie Hathaway - Live - is one of those really rare in-person performance CDs where everything comes together, you don't just get the music, you get the sweat, the movement, the cachunk, the entire spectrum of emotion. Hathaway was not a virtuoso singer, but it would be hard to find another performer able to deliver more raw sincerity. His electric piano playing is really stellar here, especially on Hey Girl, where he weaves a hypnotic trance. Without exception, the band is loose and relaxed, completely aligned with each other and Hathaway's objectives.

The odd thing about this CD is that, despite his primary renown as a songwriter, only two of the tracks are his. However, like other true originals, he is able to take covers and bend them to his will. Hathaway takes Marvin Gaye's warhorse, What's Going On, and breathes new life into it, his rendition of John Lennon's beautiful Jealous Guy is equally compelling. It is astounding to realize that Hathaway was only 33 when he died, today he is more influential than ever. Hearing him sing "This Christmas" is one of the few compensations of being stuck roaming a mall in December.

Hathaway was, and is, the real thing. While his celebrated duets with Roberta Flack are sweet, polished, and reliably popular, if you want to experience the raw talent and heart that make him undeniably great, "This is it."

He's a Genius. He can do it all. This singer, songwriter, arranger, composer, conductor, producer, instrumentalist, innovator, etc. can do 1 strong lick and not mess up. I mean he has a remarkable, remarkable, well-known voice. It's sad that he left us too quick [in 1979], 'cuz he was getting into the Mainstream section a bit like somewhat from Wes Montgomery, Selena, Grover Washington, Aaliyah, all'a them. We know we're feelin his version of the Marvin Gaye classic "What's Going On" (I wish I coulda played that). First and foremost, this album doesn't have a horn section or strings or a live vocal group IMHO, it's just him and his band doing a fine-done job. It's glad they're kickin it!, you know I mean.

It once takes me back where I got introduced into real music when I was growing up. It sure takes me back. My dad was getting into this back in the day. Lemme tell ya, that boy can blow your mind out when he's performing. Also he's very talented on the keys, he's a great musician, and very strong and blessed which is a Gift from Heaven.

In addition to this album, other songs notable are off the chain! (i.e. The Ghetto, Lil' Ghetto Boy, You've Got a Friend, Everything is Everything, etc.) Every song in here is all the way thru. Love it to death. This completely to add unto your Music Must or Collection I say.

Guarantee You Wouldn't be DISSAPPOINTED.

Donny takes the listener through his own worlds supported by a band who lay down wonderful grooves without taking the attention from him .

His sensitive keyboard work adds to the sheer musicality of this 'live' album .

Hearing Donny's version of John Lennon's 'Jealous Guy' is stunning really - he rearranges its tempo , but does it in such a way that one feels Donny wrote it .

There are pop numbers like 'Hey Girl' which could almost be a Top 10 hit it is so catchy - however , the sophisticated backing shows that Donny is not putting any less effort into the performance .

I found this record by accident and to hear it is to hear the sound of somone who loved performing live .

May Donny rest in peace - at least we have the great legacy of record like this .

This is a spiritually enriching record for me .
I truly hope you get to hear it one day .

There are certain performers who set the standard for music of a certain genre; unfortunately, their far-reaching impact more often than not outweighs their all too brief life span. You know who I'm talking about: Glenn Miller. Hank Williams. Billie Holiday. Buddy Holly. John Coltrane. Otis Redding. Janis Joplin. Jimi Hendrix. Sid Vicious. Karen Carpenter. Marvin Gaye. Stevie Ray Vaughn. Kurt Cobain. The list is endless. But, there's another name, a name you might not instantly recognize. Someone who managed to fly under the radar but who displayed talent in so many areas - singing, playing, writing, composing. Donny Hathaway is that person. If you need a single document that represents his style, passion and brilliant musicianship, get this. The backing band is equally stunning, seamlessly veering between tight grooves and loose jams. Everyone's in synch and they know it. The tracks from the Troubador in L.A. feature a pleasant surprise - the audience! Just listen to Hathaway's powerful intepretation of Carole King's "You've Got A Friend": when the chorus starts, he and the band shift into low gear and allow the audience to sing in gospel-choiresque unison without asking! Dive into the 2 extended jams on "The Ghetto" and "Voices Inside" (check out that Willie Weeks bass line). Absolutely unbelievable. The cantering crescendo on John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" will amaze you. His love of music is readily apparent throughout each of the 8 tracks, no matter if he's making a statement with a turn at Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", or digging deep into his tormented soul for the original number "We're Still Friends". At the jaded old age of 35, I never thought I could still be moved by a single (non-compilation) recorded work. Now, stop reading my adulation and experience it for yourself.

The first time I heard Donny Hathway was in the 70's, when Where Is The Love was played on Australian radio,(and then there's Maude),but after reading an interview with Aliyah where she raved
about this album, I decided to get a copy myself. I'd rate this as the best live album I've ever heard. The interaction with the audience is fabulous, you can feel the love flowing back and forth, especially on You've Got A Friend. The audience sound like
a gospell choir! The Ghetto also has some great participation with the "ladies" and "men" parts. Donny sings with such feeling,
I'm no expert, but I seem to hear a lot of his vocal stylings echoed in quite a few R&B singers of today. The band is tight and there are times where it all falls into place so perfectly,
like on Hey Girl, the instrumental break just GROOVES! I love
We're Still Friends. An Australian Jazz singer Vince Jones did a
really good version of this a few years ago, but Donny's is the best. What a different take on Jealous Guy! Donny made it his own, I prefer it to John Lennon's version. If the record company
had re-released it after Lennon's murder, I think it would have
blown Roxy Music's version off the charts. Marvin Gaye wrote a
classic with What's Goin' On, once again, I think I prefer Donny's version. There is so much joy in evidence in this recording, sweet soul music, very highly recommended!

This without a doubt is one of the greatest live albums ever, and takes me back to my college dorm days in the early 70's. The true essence of a great live performer is easy to pick up on, because you can feel the interaction with the audience right away. The only other live R&B album you can even mention in the same breath with Donny's is Frankie Beverly & Maze "Live in New Orleans", as far as great vocals, tight musicianship, and audience participation goes.

Donny's vocals are flawless, whether it's uptempo funk like "The Ghetto" and "Little Ghetto Boy", or ballads like "You've Got a Friend". The band is real tight too, especially Willie Weeks smooth bass lines on "Little Ghetto Boy", and the entire band blowing out the "Everything is Everything" 13 minute party!!

Seems like gone are the days of the great R&B vocalists who knew how to party, but had a strong social consciousness too! I truly miss guys like Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, et al.

Donny was most def ahead of his time, solo, duet, instrumental, and did it with ease, no problem for Donnie.

peace

I wasn't familiar with Donny Hathaway until about a year ago. It was hearing the live version of "What's Going On" that introduced me to this incredible artist! After doing some research I learned of Hathaway's bouts with depression and eventual suicide. Having listened to this cd, I can't imagine it! You'll be hard pressed to find more JOYOUS music than this!

I'm usually not big on live albums but this cd is great to listen to and alot of fun! I'd recommend it just because of the versions of "What's Goin On" and "The Ghetto" but all the songs are worth listening to. "The Ghetto" is more uptempo than his other version and truly sounds like a "party goin on!" Hathaway's keyboard playing is some of the finest I've heard, particularly on a live album! The crowd interaction throughout the cd enhances rather than detracts. Pick up this cd by an outstanding and slightly overlooked artist! Donny Hathaway should be mentioned in the same breath as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye when it comes to 70's r&b. Superb!

My initial experiences with Donny Hathaway were in college in the early 70's. I liked his studio efforts, but I didn't get into them. They weren't really dance tunes, but songs with a social message coupled with a unique vocal styling. I got a much greater appreciation for him one night in the dorm room with my buddies. We pulled out our drums and congas and played along with the "Everything" album. And I GOT IT!! We played to "The Ghetto" and I GOT IT!!

So when the "Donny - Live" album came out, it was a must-have. It was on the same level as Isaac Hayes "Shaft" album or Stevie's "Talking Book" or Graham Central Station's "Release Yourself" and the original "Spinners" album or the O'Jays "Backstabbers" album . . . . albums we listened to all through our college experience.

With excellent musicians, especially the incomparable Willie Weeks on bass, and that Rhodes sounding off like only it can, this album is a bonafide classic. For music afficionados, it is still a must-have item. Each song flows, despite taping in two separate venues. The crowd differences are evident between "What's Goin' On" and "Little Ghetto Boy", but no where else. But that doesn't detract from the ability of Donny to be able to divert so much positive energy into each song. It's sad to listen to considering that he's no longer with us, while at the same moment, whatever drove him to his unfortunate suicide (the depression and despair) is not evident in this performance. It is pure joy that comes through from beginning to end.

I only saw him perform on TV on a few occasions, but it was evident that he loved to perform and share his gift to the world. If you don't have another Donny album, get this one. It will show off the true genius in his favorite medium.

Here's some real playing & singing. Great arrangments. They'll be goin' along... and they'll throw some great gospel changes in. In my opinion, one the great rhythm sections. Weeks' always mixing it up. Unbelievably funky. His solo goes thru so many sections, it just builds and builds. And to think this record was panned by Rolling Stone when it came out is beyond anyone with real appreciation for soul music. Or, just music in general. Why it hasn't been released in America is a crime. Luckily, I have a nice clean vinyl copy. If I could give 6 stars I would.

This live recording from soul virtuoso, Mr. Donny Hathaway, is an exercise in the movement of the human spirit. The three tracks that personify this man best are: "The Ghetto," "Little Ghetto Boy" and "Everything is Everything."

Selection one and three are polyrhythmic, pulsating, greasy, soul work-outs. Not only do they take on every jam session ever laid to wax, they have that trademark Donny Hathaway spirituality - that 'take 'em back to church' thunder clap -underscoring their collective 25 minutes of funk. The only song I can think of that matches the pure energy and the spontaneous musicianship of "Everything..." is Larry Graham's "The Jam."

Selection 6 is of particular note: The Hathaway original, "Little Ghetto Boy." It's haunting but positive plea for the future of black american youth is one of the most honest outpourings of simultaneous grief and hope ever professed.

Donny Hathaway was a musical genius whose time came too soon and whose widespread recognition never did, while he was living. I'm only grateful that we have these testaments of his greatness to keep with us forever. Rest in peace, Donny.

It's often said that musicians perform their best in a live situation. Well, this album is a perfect example of the above. Of course, I'm biased. The guy's one of my heroes, but this album really is one of the baddest ever released. I've owned this both on vinyl and CD and have introduced it into many of my friends collections. "Donny who?" was often the reply from my buddies. "Have a listen to this" I'd say, before converting them to the way of the Hathaway.

It's a pity this album isn't more readily available in the UK. Fair enough, Donny may not have been a big seller over here, but man, the guy was great. If only more people listened to this recording.

Most peole think of Donnie Hathaway with Roberta Flack and the hits... Where is the love etc. But that ain't the half of it! Donny Hathaway was a genius, right up there with Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. On this album you hear him live, playing electric piano and singing with a killer band featuring Cornell Dupree on guitar and Willie Weeks on bass. You won't believe how hard these guys groove. And the audience knows it. They sing along like a gospel choir! This album is a favourite among my musician friends and, if you like funky R&B, you really must have it!

Donny Hathaway is my all-time favorite singer. Hands down. Of all the would-be poets and soul singers that emerged in the '70s, none of them that I've listened to seem to sing with as much heart and soul as Donny, and that should be all I need to say. However, as incredible and masterful as all his studio albums are, there's just nothing like hearing him play live, as well as hearing an audience that is obviously just as moved, shaken and overjoyed about seeing him play as you are about hearing him. Caught partly at the Troubadour in Hollywood and partly at the Bitter End in New York, this recording is one of the greatest moments in music history. With Donny singing his heart out, playing the hell outta his piano and organ, and an incredible backing band that included bassist Willie Weeks, it was bound to be somethin' special, but if you could jus' hear the crowd's ecstatic reaction, oh, MAN! Donny had a small, but loyal fanbase, but the adoration they had for him was monumental. Donny opens his set with his own interpretation of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On', reciting the words as if he were preaching a sermon to a churchful of worshippers. Marvin's jazzy laid-back testament of hope and love has always been meaningful, but it takes on a new vibe of spirited gut-bucket SOUL when Donny sings it. He follows that up with an extended version of his R&B hit 'The Ghetto', stretchin' it out for over twelve minutes. Donny and the band lay on the funk thick, making his famed instrumental, which was a lament for the inner-city, a dark, dank, moody, but ultimately celebratory anthem. The BEST part is in the last refrain when he gets the ladies an' gents to sing the hook, an' EVERY SINGLE person in the audience seems to be singin' in unision. I mean, fa'real, he brought the house down with this number right here. You won't understand 'till you hear it, and feel the goosebumps it gives you. With the audience as hype as ever, on their feet, ready for more, Donny follows up his crowd-pleaser with 'Hey Girl', a nice, simple love song, taken at a steady pace, jus' to keep things moving. Then he calms things down even more, moving into Carole King's popular 'You've Got a Friend', which he originally recorded as a duet with Roberta Flack. Once again, the audience sings along with the hook as Donny gives it the definitive soul treatment. It gets no better. After that number which was another big crowd-pleaser, he downtroddens the mood by taking on the popular standard 'Little Ghetto Boy'. He sings the sad and dour words with the passion and urgency that the song calls for, speaking directly to the ghettos and borroughs across the nation, and hoping, if anything, to make a difference. Next, he keeps the tempo downbeat, with the bluesy and remorseful 'We're Still Friends', then gives a brief and lively interpretation of John Lennon's 'Jealous Guy'. He ends the set with another extended funk istrumental 'Voices Inside (Everything is Everything)', letting his backing band share the spotlight and keeping the groove goin' for over thirteen minutes. It's somethin' else, fa'real.

What makes this just as good, if not better, than his studio albums is that aside from hearing the awesome power in his voice, you can hear what an amazing, and I mean AMAZING instrumentalist he was, somethin' you only see flashes of on his albums. Hearing his improvisations on those instrumentals, particularly on 'The Ghetto' where he's jus' GOIN' OFF on that organ jus' made me gape in awe. I slept on this for a long time, even as a Donny Hathaway fan, but I gotta say if you have not yet picked this up, DON'T WAIT another minute. This is one of the baddest and best soul albums out there, and the bar-none BEST live album of ALL TIME, in my opinion. 'Nuff said? Oh, I think so.

wow. donny hathaway is the real deal. truly one of the greatest soul singers ever.

i highly recommend this cd to any John Lennon fan so that they can hear Hathaway's killer version of "Jealous Guy".

If you are A fan of donny hathaway you'll love this live cd
I have it on record ,but it's broke I'm happy I found this CD
on Line you'll fall in love with the prue soul groove's on this
CD you got a friend is lovly this is donny at his best fred white on the drums from EWF. Ad this CD to your colletion....

My knowledge in funk music is very amateurish. One day I saw this CD in a sales in a HK Cd shop and I was attracted by the price, with the 6th sense that it is a good record... (of course I learnt from various information that it was really an overlooked classics in Funk) wow! Great groove! All of the music make you hip, and before listening I just wonder how could one re-interprete "Jealous Guy", which is already a classic... well, they do it well... ! The conga drum parts really make you feel that you can dance on "Jealous Guy"... The long jam "Ghetto" involve much seamless interaction with the audiences, it must be an extremely joyful experience to be there! From the 8 cuts in the album, I love "Hey Girl" most.

This album is already in my updated "favourite top 10" album... the 1st Funk album in the list (my favourite is progressive rock/krautrock, and Tim-Buckley style folk), image the power of good music.

This is one of the all-time classics of soul jazz. Originally released on the Atlantic label in 1972, it is a live performance of an absolutely amazing band playing their hearts out to a very appreciative and vocal audience in what looks like a club setting. I would love to have been there. The band is Donny Hathaway on vocals and piano, Mike Howard on rythym and lead guitar, Cornell Dupree on the other lead guitar, Willie Weeks on the bass, and a conga player who I think is named Earl DeRoy and a drummer whose name I have forgotten and is uncredited. This is too bad because whoever was part of this project deserves to be remembered.
Donny's vocal style is classic with changes in intonation and timbre as richly textured as Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles. He tells you part of the story of the lyrics by how he sings a phrase. This guy seems a natural wonder but his skill was probably the result of a lot of work. One of the other reviewers compares his piano playing to Les McCann: maybe a little less harmonically advanced yet technically as good and perhaps even more soulful.
Cornel Dupree was one of the great sidemen of the period and later starred in Stuff which he co-led with Eric Gale. He shines on this album with solos on We're Still Friends and Voices Inside (Everything is Everything). He has a classic Fender tone- sharp, piercing and bluesy. You can hear Albert Collins in his playing and the whole history of Texas guitar. You will notice that other reviewers mention how much Stevie Ray loved this album and band. Cornell is part of the reason why.
Willie Weeks the base player is solid thoroughout. He is outstandingly funky on Voices Inside (Everything is Everything).
Listen to the album sometime just focusing on his bass for a great lesson in the art of the groove. Heck, listen to this album sometime focusing on any of these guys for a lesson in how to play that instrument beautifully within a group context. Each of these guys knows how to make the others sound even better and they all blend into a beautiful overall group sound.
And then there is the audience. When Donny sings You've Got A Friend the audience takes up the chorus without even being asked and keeps it up throughout. Donny goes with it and basically sings around and with the audience. Very very cool. Very professional.
I have owned several thousands CDs, tapes or albums in my time. There are probably less than a hundred that I think of as being iconic, unique, and near perfect. That I would change in no way whatsoever. This is one of the few. This is a sweet and honest presentation of one man's (very large) musical soul being expressed with the help of a band of professionals whose musical skill is the effort of a lifetime in front of an audience who is very hip to what they are hearing. A stone cold soul classic.

A couple of years ago, I searched for this CD after my cassette copy bit the dust. Luckily, the German branch of Atco had the sense to put it out. It is simply one of a handful of greatest live performances ever recorded.
Kicking off with What's Goin' On sets the tone and it only gets better! Donny's voice and piano stylings are always front and center but never overshadow the magnificent group he assembled. At a couple of points on the CD, the band is so together and tight that it sounds like a train chugging down their favorite soul track.
It is a treasure.....buy it while they still have it!!

I originally heard of this album via an interview w/ Stevie Vaughn... he was citing Bassist Willie Week's influence on Tommie Shannon. This album is probably the best piece of R&B ever made (that I've ever heard). Incredible songs, incredible playing, and Donny Hathaway. This is guy is beyond under-known ... everyone who "knows" knows that.
This album for me is the ultimate combination of structured R&B and improvised Jazz. Its been such a big influence on so many musicians I know and play with.

This album takes you by the hand, embraces you, just by sharing the purest emotion with you by a group of great, great musicians, that play these songs in an uncompromised and unselfish way. It's so refreshing listening to this music and these musicians. Everyone of them is shining throughout the album, connected by an unstoppable groove and a loving audience. This is R&B at its best and this is definitely a landmark recording in the history of music, created in a time when there was no video, but luckily so there was a tape recorder that captured this one time event. And the good thing about this recording is that these guys were just doing the thing they loved most: making music!! They did not have to fake it, it's all the real deal, something unfortunately very rare these days.

I recently purchased this album and have been listening to it almost every day!! Every time I hear "You've Got A Friend" I am touched by the joy the audience and Donny share.This had been a wonderful discovery in soul/R&B music for me and I enourage friends and family to purchase this CD and all of Donny's catalogue. You will not be disappointed!!!

I have been searching for this album for years on CD and now it appears my search is thankfully over. Donny's influence on me was just as profound, if not more so, as Aretha's. Mr. Hathaway was a force to be reckoned with. These wondrous performances rival the other live album "In Performance!" Donny was the consumate muscian influencing countless singers and instrumentalists. It is even rather painful sometimes hearing his daughter, wonderful in her own right, who has many of his flourishes as the timbres of their voices are remarkably close. In any event, this is a must for any music collection. His opening cover of "What's Goin On" was an immediate smash in the day and many bands copied this particular session, myself included. But get it, sit back, and this will undoubltedly prompt you to try and get everything this man did, most notably any live performances because this is where Donny always shines. Awesome piano work. Flawless vocals. Tight band. Simply excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Donny Hathaway covered more ground in a few years than hundreds of lesser artists do in a lifetime of recording and performing. On this live set, he is in full control of Everything- that incomparable voice heavy like honey, the funkiest keyboard work this side of Les McCann, a seriously righteous band, including bassist Willie Weeks, the material -even the audience! "The Ghetto" is the pinnacle of this album recorded at two different nightclubs, one in New York and one in LA - Donny comes fully alive as he transforms the audience into his back-up singers, making church, and leaving us the better for it. This is Donny's finest recorded effort. "Extension of a Man", while it contains the classic "Someday We'll All Be Free", finds him somewhat remote, no doubt a result of the increasingly virulent heroin habit that finally contributed to the despair culminating in his suicide; here he is an extraordinary Minister of Funk, and he's live, obviously the best way to experience his art. I saw him perform on three separate occasions, and it was easy to tell that he loved performing live - the performances were unforgettable. Donny Hathaway's huge musical and spiritual influence still runs like a river through music being made today- I hear the echo of his presence in artists as diverse as the brilliant Me'Shell Ndegeocello and the re-vitalised Santana. True funk will never die; this remarkable album will always keep the faith.

I have searched all over for this album. It was one of the few I owned back in the day. A lot of people don't know about Donny, which is ashame. It seems as though the music industry has forgotten his contribution. The man is music. I can't wait to get the CD so my daughter's can find out why I rave about him.

an extraordinary album of soul music at its finest.a classic.buy it.

Donny Hathaway is a Great Genius.and Back In the day The Stage was Where you Either Sanked or Swimmed.Donny Hathaway was High Above Shore.This Disc is Smoking from start to finish.His Voice&The Music are Blisstering.Back In the day with so Much Talent Around Donny was a 2nd tier Giant.Today He Would Be A Label Onto Himself.Coming from such a Heavy Talented Era Left this Genius a Bit Over-Looked but Never Ignored.but His Music Has Stayed Strong.and On this Live Album You Hear The Genius of Him Explode.As Writer,Arranger,Producer,Instrumentalist&Vocalist Donny Hathaway was as Bad as ANyOne.

I had this album a few years ago and lost it. (actually stole it) I have ben searching high and low for it since. Only recently was i able to find it. it's only available as an import so it's alittle expensive but WELL worth it. The album starts off with a cover of Marvin Gaye's classic song What's going on. Donny hathaway who was known for his wonderful adaptations of other artist songs. This on is no different. He does something that i didn't think was possible with a Marvin Gaye song. He makes it his own, equaling (maybe even bettering) Marvin's version. His version of John Lennon's Jealous Guy makes you really want to say John who? Then there's his solo versio of you got a friend that sounds like it was meant to be a solo. Or the two Jammin instrumental pieces, The ghetto and voices inside (everything is everything) which show how much of musician Donny was. Donny voice is so smooth and effortless in listening to it I soon realized that his snging voice was his natural voice. If you listen to him talk during the performance his voice sounds the same. What makes this album even extra sprecial was the crowd. This was obviosly recorded at a small club which improves the relationship between the performers and the crowd. The crowd does the Chorus on you got a friend and the ghetto, both of which gave me goose bumps In short this album is masterpiece from begingin to end and one of the best live albums i've heard in a long time. Donny Hathaway was a musical genius by far who unfortunately didn't get his proper respect, not only as a singer but as a musician and composer. You can't go wrong buying this cd!

SRV cited this album as a huge influence ... it is peerless. In alot of ways it embodies to me what popular music should be about, but rarely is. It's such a shame that Donny Hathaway died so tragically and never received the wide aclaim he deserved.

As I grew up in the 70's we embraced Stevie, Marvin and the like. Donny became the rising star on the scene with this album and heightened the term soulful to musical rapture. If you're interested in what defines soul music and a foot tappin, can't stop my hands from clappin wish I was there experience, checkout Donny Live.

After becoming an instant fan of Donny Hathaway from hearing "Extensions Of A Man", I was totally unprepared for the genius on this album. This is probably only one out of a handful of albums that blew my mind on first listen. I hate to say it, but I think he up's Marvin one notch on "What's Goin On". As far as I can tell, the funky "The Ghetto" is the greatest jam of all time. A must have for anyone.

Donny Hathaway "Live" was a life changing recording for a lot of us 40 something still working musicians. I give a copy to every young serious bassist I meet. Willie Weeks is awsome and was probably only about 20 years old when he recorded this. The drummer, Fred White, went on to Earth Wind and Fire. Fort Worth's Cornell Dupress was a corner stone member of the 70's New York all star band "Stuff." Willie Weeks is alive and well in Nashville, TN. He is Wynona Judd's bassist and musical director. He has played on all of her solo recordings and has toured with her during her solo career. A great story about "Willie Weeks," is he moved to Nashville from L.A., went out and bought about 100 records and studied them in detail and then made the rounds and is now one of the most indemand players in Nashville. Totally Cool! If you want to check out another great bassist in addition to James Jamerson and Chuck Rainey, you have to have Donny Hathawy "Live."