January 27, 2023
Rhino
1xLP (Limited Burgundy Vinyl)
In the pantheon of classic live soul albums, Curtis Live! Takes an alternate route to greatness than Live at the Apollo or Live at the Harlem Square Club, where those albums captured the raw energy and intensity of a performance from their artists, Curtis/Live! focuses more on the intimacy of a Curtis Mayfield set circa 1971. Save the audience applause at the end of the songs this album can feel like being serenaded by Curtis Mayfield in his living room. He works through material from his then-nascent solo career and already-classic tracks from his prior career with the Impressions like “People Get Ready” and “Mighty Mighty” while adding in his own sadly-still-too-relevant social commentary between the songs to highlight the sadly-still-too-relevant themes he’s exploring here. Curtis Live!, like the best live albums, adds another dimension to the songs you’ve already heard but also stands as a great album in its own right.