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Al Green

The title of Al Green’s Lay It Down truly tells it like it is. Conceived as a collaboration between the soul legend and a handful of gifted young admirers from the worlds of contemporary R&B and hip hop, the album is drawn from a series of inspired sessions that yielded the most high-spirited, funky and often lushly romantic songs of Green’s latter-day career. The album is a refreshingly old school jam, with everyone laying down the music together, face to face, heart to heart, soul to soul. The project features the sophisticated R&B voices of singer-songwriters John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae, and it was co-produced with Green by two of hip-hop’s most innovative players, drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson from the Roots and keyboardist James Poyser, the go-to guy for high-profile artists ranging from Erykah Badu to Common. Add in Brooklyn’s celebrated Dap-King Horns (Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse), guitarist Chalmers “Spanky” Alford (Mighty Clouds of Joy, Joss Stone) and bassist Adam Blackstone (Jill Scott, DJ Jazzy Jeff), among others, and you’ve got a modern soul-music dream team, fronted by the most expressive voice in the business. “The reason why we are doing this is because we all idolize Al Green,” declares ?uestlove. “Even today, nobody has range like him.” Green himself envisioned this project as a way to reach out to younger artists, particularly in the hip hop community, to find common musical ground and help spread his healing message of, as he likes to put it, “L-O-V-E.” He gamely plunged into the world of the Roots and their posse, cutting tracks with them in New York City. His youthful collaborators took this as an opportunity to get right into Al’s head, turning the sessions into a master class about how to create that sublime Al Green sound and keep it relevant for today. As Green explains: ”They didn’t want to get too far out from the foundation that [Hi Records producer] Willie Mitchell and I built"‘Call Me,’ ‘I’m Still In Love With You,’ ‘Let’s Stay Together.” That’s all good, they said, but we want to play what we hear you being about in 2008. We want to keep all of the aura, but we would like to have freedom enough to spread our wings and express ourselves. The Roots, all the guys from Philly who came up to do this stuff with us"they were incredible. I could relax because I knew the people were capable.

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443
Album Review

Al Green: Lay It Down

Read "Lay It Down" reviewed by Jeff Dayton-Johnson


Singer Al Green's Lay It Down leaves the impression of still being in the heady heyday of Green's dominance of the rhythm and blues charts circa 1973. It's not 1973, of course; while some things are the same, others have changed.What remains the same, uncannily, is the classic Memphis soul sound of this record--displaced to Philadelphia, where the music was recorded by producer Ahmir “?uestlove" Thompson of the critically acclaimed hip-hop group The Roots. Thompson's drumming on Lay ...

235
Album Review

Al Green: I Can

Read "I Can" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


Some of the most classic of the classic sounds of 1970s soul were written, arranged, and performed by Al Green and producer Willie Mitchell for the Hi label in Memphis. The two come back together with original Hi studio musicians (and for real soul brothers) Mabon “Teenie” Hodges on guitar and Leroy Hodges on bass, plus guitarist Charles Pitts (supporting axeman with Rufus Thomas and Isaac Hayes, stalwarts for the other legendary Memphis soul label, Stax) and Green’s longtime drummer ...

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Video / DVD

Videos: Al Green Live in Concert

Videos: Al Green Live in Concert

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

When it comes to stage performers who could really get an audience going, names such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis come to mind. Al Green should be on that list, too. In his prime and even years after his hit records, the Reverend Green could whip up any size audience and leave them wanting more. I've seen him in concert and I had the good fortune in 2012 to interview ...

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Recording

German jazz trio Indigo pay tribute to Al Green and other '70s soul stars on new CD

Source: Lauren Rogers

The German trio Indigo is illuminated by the stirring soul of Al Green on their new album, Stay Together. The name of the record itself is a nod to the great reverend, whose 1972 classic “Let's Stay Together" is also covered here with a smooth-jazz sheen. Featuring Jost Edelhoff (acoustic and electric guitars), Michael Thomas (acoustic bass), and Carsten Steinkämper (drums and percussion), Indigo display their deep affection for '70s soul on Stay Together. Not only is Green paid tribute ...

108

Performance / Tour

Al Green and Michael McDonald to Tour U.K. in June

Al Green and Michael McDonald to Tour U.K. in June

Source: JamBase


140

Obituary

Willie Mitchell Record Producer Worked with al Green Dies

Willie Mitchell Record Producer Worked with al Green Dies

Source: Michael Ricci

The trumpeter, who had hits such as 'Soul Serenade' in the 1960s, helped mold the Memphis soul sound with Green and Ann Peebles.

Willie Mitchell, an influential record producer, label head and musician who worked closely with singer Al Green and other stars to help mold the Memphis soul sound, died Tuesday. He was 81. Mitchell died at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., more than two weeks after he suffered cardiac arrest Dec. 19, said his son, Lawrence Mitchell. ...

440

Video / DVD

Al Green, Sonny Rollins & 'Beiderbecke Affair' DVDs out January 27 from Acorn Media

Al Green, Sonny Rollins & 'Beiderbecke Affair' DVDs out January 27 from Acorn Media

Source: All About Jazz

Silver Spring, MD The 25th Anniversary Edition DVD of The Gospel According to Al Green will be released on January 27, 2009 by Acorn Media. Offering an up-close-and-personal look at a charismatic soul legend with an unshakeable faith and an incandescent smile, this acclaimed 1984 documentary also features several special features including a 90-minute audio interview with Green.

Green is a nine-time Grammy winner and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with more than 40 albums to ...

239

Recording

Al Green Makes First-Ever Top 10 Debut

Al Green Makes First-Ever Top 10 Debut

Source: All About Jazz

SOUL LEGEND'S NEW ALBUM ENTERS BILLBOARD CHARTS AT #9; CONTINUES TO EARN WIDE CRITICAL ACCLAIM “The soul legend teams up with The Roots for his best disc in decades." - Rolling Stone It's only half over, but 2008 has been a whirlwind year for legendary soul and R&B icon, Al Green. With his new album, Lay It Down, released May 27 on Blue Note Records, Green delivers the highest debuting record of ...

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Video / DVD

Al Green, Lay It Down, Video Podcast Now Available

Al Green, Lay It Down, Video Podcast Now Available

Source: All About Jazz


167

Festival

Frank Sinatra Jr., Dee Dee Bridgewater, Boz Scaggs, and Al Green to Headline Rochester International Jazz Festival 7th Edition June 13-21, 2008

Frank Sinatra Jr., Dee Dee Bridgewater, Boz Scaggs, and Al Green to Headline Rochester International Jazz Festival 7th Edition  June 13-21, 2008

Source: Dalmath Associates Inc.

800+ Artists, 250+ Concerts Tickets on Sale Now Rochester, NY-- Frank Sinatra Jr. & His Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater with special guest Richard Bona Band, Boz Scaggs, and Al Green will headline the seventh annual Rochester International Jazz Festival (www.rochesterjazz.com) presented by M&T Bank. The nine-day Festival, June 13-21, will deliver a diverse lineup of creative improvised music with more than 800 artists from around the world performing in 250 concerts. Two special ensemble concerts will be presented ...

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Performance / Tour

Al Green Announces 2007 UK Tour

Al Green Announces 2007 UK Tour

Source: All About Jazz

"Unquestionably the greatest soul singer to come to prominence in the 1970's..." - Rolling Stone

Legendary soul and R&B sensation Al Green will perform several rare UK concerts in June and July. Kennedy Street is pleased to announce that tickets for Al Green's 2007 UK tour go on sale later this week. Tickets for the London dates will go on sale Thursday 1st February at 9am. Tickets for the Manchester and Birmingham dates will go on sale on ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Green Is Blues - 40th...

Audio Fidelity
2009

buy

Lay It Down

Blue Note Records
2008

buy

I Can't Stop

Audio Fidelity
2003

buy

Gets Next To You

Audio Fidelity
2003

buy

Green Is Blues

Audio Fidelity
2003

buy

I Can

Blue Note Records
2003

buy

Videos

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