Synchronized with the 50th anniversary of the active Earth, Wind & Fire,
Love Will Find a Way is Philip Bailey's first solo album in 17 years.
That's a mighty long time -- longer than the time span between "Keep
Your Head to the Sky" and "System of Survival." Nonetheless, this
continues in the direction Bailey was headed on his 1999 and 2002
efforts for the Heads Up label, though the singer and percussionist goes
deeper and farther out with a presumably larger recording budget. Like Dreams and Soul on Jazz,
this release mixes originals and a greater percentage of
interpretations, and above all else is a jazz LP. Moved by the younger
generation of musicians who know their history and how to
recontextualize it with skill and invention, Bailey places himself at
the center of a gathering that welcomes keyboardist and co-producer Robert Glasper, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, and bassists Christian McBride and Derrick Hodge. He makes it multi-generational with Chick Corea and Kenny Barron also on keys, and Steve Gadd on drums. Even the group of background vocalists, from Valerie Bailey (née Davis) to Bilal,
bridges generations. The full ensemble numbers over 30 and, much like
the material itself, changes shape significantly from cut to cut (which
could explain the lack of track-specific credits). There are updates of
two songs by fellow falsetto colossus Curtis Mayfield.
Cautionary narrative "Billy Jack" begins the album in startling
fashion, transmuting the original's lean and choppy reggae-funk into a
tightly wound groove synthesizing Afro-beat and blaxploitation. The Impressions' black pride anthem "We're a Winner" is easier going. Bailey sings with a little more swagger than usual, true to Mayfield. Rather surprisingly, there are only two one-on-one love songs, but Bailey makes them count. In the case of Marvin Gaye's
anguished "Just to Keep You Satisfied," treated like a standard with a
fuller arrangement, Bailey gives one of his most stirring performances.
It starts impressively enough, but around the moment he hits the final
note of "My one desire was to love you," all other versions have been
left in the dust. The three originals, primarily instrumental, are
subtle grooving knockouts. "Sacred Sounds," written by Bailey, his son,
and Glasper, is the finest, evoking the spirit of mid-'70s EWF while grounded more in jazz-funk -- somewhat akin to what Eddie Russ did with "See the Light." It takes off when Washington's piquant sax strays from a joyous group vocal. Bailey finishes by teasing out the EWF from one of Washington's key influences. "Love Will Find a Way" closely echoes the levitating version on Pharoah Sanders'
like-titled album, all the while seeming to inch toward "Love's
Holiday." It ends this invigorating album just as effectively as the
blueprint began its parent release.
lundi 3 juin 2024
Love Will Find a Way (2019)
Love Will Find a Way is a jazz album by Philip Bailey released in November 2019 on Verve Records.[1] The album reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart and the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
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