1074. Curtis Mayfield - Curtis/Live!

It's a shame I missed the whole classic new york live music scene. Sure I've seen some amazing bands in the city and in brooklyn over the years - mainly indie stuff, but man it must have been great to see coltrane at the village vanguard, or odetta at town hall, and Curtis Mayfield, at the bitter end! I've been by there a billion times, and the place doesn't have anybody of that stature playing there - most manhattan live clubs have either closed or been forced to book cover bands or bar band types especially since the once creative, cultural nabes in the les and west village are now ridden with tourists and nyc transports who are importing their favorite brand of bland.

But onto the disc - curtis sings and plays like a soulful slinky, roaming around in any formation down any note creating a sound that is only his and sounds completely fluid and natural - pulling you in from the opening note. A live classic.

8.7 out of 10