Reinvention by David Nathan

People may be surprised by what they hear on the CD but despite my very sincere and genuine love of R&B music, most of the songs I chose fall into the general realm of jazz/pop standards."

David Nathan's choice of music for his debut album is interesting: having made his name as a champion of R&B and soul music (as a reissue producer, author and music historian) he explores musical terrain more suited for the likes of Mose Allison and Jimmy Scott. "People may be surprised by what they hear on the CD but despite my very sincere and genuine love of R&B music, most of the songs I chose fall into the general realm of jazz/pop standards."

Nathan's debut disc boasts covers of some of his favorite tunes from throughout the years. The Lennon-McCartney penned Beatles' classic "Blackbird" opens the set by showcasing Nathan's flair for recognizing great hooks as well as his unique vocal style that fuses jazz leanings with R&B tinges. From there Nathan glides effortlessly through an array of tunes from a broad musical smorgasbord. Billie Holiday's "You Don't Know What Love Is" and Aretha Franklin's "Runnin' Out Of Fools" demonstrate Nathan's affinity with music from the truly great divas of popular song, withness his versions of two late night standards, "I Could Have Told You" and "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," songs he first heard recorded by the late Esther Phillips.

Adding the right seasonings to this flavorful mix, Nathan brought in some impressive guests to partake in his first project. Saxophonist Najee adds his sweetness to the gem "Angel Eyes," while the Sweet Inspirations, up-n-coming spoken word artist 4 To The S To The Midwestside and sax man Andy Suzuki spice up "Tryin' Times" to perfection. Rounding things out is "When Your Heart Whispers Love," an original contribution from heralded songwriter/producer Preston who, in addition to his hit collaborations with Narada Michael Walden, wrote Aretha Franklin's "Who's Zoomin' Who."

QUOTES:

"You waited for us to fall off the charts before doing this CD, David! It's great, a mixture of blues, jazz...and soul!" Singer James Ingram

"The thing I like best is that you're not trying to imitate anybody; you have your own sound and style. Plus, your choice of material is excellent. Production is terrific, too. Well done!" Singer and music historian Billy Vera

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