Anybody like Roberta Flack?
 

I just bought Roberta Flack's "softly with these songs, the best of Roberta Flack" on iTunes yesterday, and I can't remember enjoying an album so much in a loooooong time.

What a wonderful singer and songwriter she is.

Do you all remember?

Where is the Love
Killing Me Softly with His Song
Feel Like Makin' Love
The Closer I get to You

Man, nothing but beautiful ballads and love songs. Perfect for quiet listening on a cool Saturday or Sunday afternoon.:)

Are there artists of that caliber today?

How about Minnie Riperton?

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

In her early teens, Flack so excelled at classical piano that Howard University awarded her a full music scholarship. She matriculated at Howard at the age of 15, making her one of the youngest students ever to enroll there. She eventually changed her major from piano to voice, and became an assistant conductor of the university choir. Her direction of a production of Aida received a standing ovation from the Howard faculty.

Flack became the first black student teacher at an all-white school near Chevy Chase, Maryland. She graduated from Howard at 19 and began graduate studies in music, but the sudden death of her father forced her to take a job teaching music and English for $2800 a year in Farmville North Carolina.

From wikipedia

She passed away many years ago.

I can't think of any "comtemporary" artists that compare to Roberta Flack.

I'm familiar with the name "Minnie Riperton", but can't recall any of her music.

Well then you're in for a treat :)

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

That's really cool. I didn't know any of that.

To tell you the truth, I just assumed she was one of the self-taught boot strap types, like Ray Charles.

Well, then lemme check out some of her stuff at iTunes.

I'll report back later.

Okay, I'm familiar with one song, "lovin' you".

She has a nice voice, but doesn't appear to have the same body of work as Roberta Flack.

How 'bout Norah Jones?

Now there ya go.

I've got her Feels Like Home CD play'n as I type this.
Good stuff.

Sugi -
We drove over to my in-laws for dinner tonight.
The whole way there, I was quietly whistling "Killing Me Softly..." thanks to this thread. Drove DJ nuts. She can't get anything stuck in her head. I, on the otherhand, do so quite easily. At least this time it was a great song, worth repeating.
(62,359 times according to the wife :rolleyes: :D ).
Thanks -

No question there. I meant you can put on a Minnie Riperton album and lose yourself for the day.

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

This is one of the nicest threads in a long time.

How old did you say you were? :)

Yeah, she was a big item in the day. The "First Time Ever I Saw His (her) Face," was a good one too. Easy to adapt to the gender of the singer.

How would you know about such things, youngster? :wacko:

I checked her discography, and Killing me Softly came out in 1973. I was 5 or 6 years old.

You know, I'll be 40 years old next year, and I'm finding I'm getting more and more sentimental for the music of my early childhood, which is predominantly the music of the 70's.

In my house, my dad had a very large collection of 8 track tapes, and you would usually hear playing:

James Taylor
Roberta Flack
Simon and Garfunkel
Seals and Crofts
Gordon Lightfoot
Jim Croce
Anne Murray
Barry Manilow
Marvin Gaye

Norah Jones might be the closest contemporary artist to compare to Roberta Flack.

Both are pianists with a pop / jazz sensibility in their music, and sing in a quiet, understated way - - - - - a very welcome relief from the over-the-top, sing as loud as you can until the note explodes American Idol type singer.

Roger that. :)

Jeez, you know how long it's been since I been called a youngster??

Oh man, I know the feeling. A couple years back, I was at a Salvation Army thrift store, I was about 52 years old, and the lady asked if I wanted the senior discount. :eek:

Oh well, she had a thick Asian accent, probably wasn't up on these things.

That song was featured in Clint Eastwood's 1971 movie "Play Misty For Me" that he starred in as a Disc Jockey in Carmel, Ca. who was stalked by Jessica Walters. In real life, he lived there, owned the "Hog's Breath Inn" restaurant,
and became so angry about a city ordinance banning consumption of ice cream cones on the streets, he ran for Mayor of the town, and won!

Roberta Flack's songs were played to death in the early '70s on top 40 radio stations.

I much preferred Dionne Warwick's tunes, and saw her many years ago in concert, great performance.

We spent most of the day at the Los Angeles Zoo today with the twins.

Just put on "Feel like Makin' Love" to wind down. :)

After bathing the kids and putting them to bed I'm going to reward myself with a Maker's Mark on the rocks. :D

it sounds nice. i do love all those songs you listed so maybe i should buy the disc too.

cmac, being asked if i wanted the senior discount at burger king prompted my beard cut off (too white) and a few years later the same thing prompted cutting off the 'stash.

i miss the convenience of not shaving as much though.

tom w

My dad's taste in music ran toward Kingston Trio and other 60's folk acts, and I have lots of that sort of pre-Beatles folk to listen to in the car...lots of memories. That, and he had the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack and I know damn near every song by heart.

Oh yeah, I can top that.

My mother had the soundtrack to the Sound of Music, and I still know the words to every song. :P

I have never even seen the Sound of Music, we sang a song or 2 from the soundtrack in 2nd grade about 1974, for a pageant of some sort, but that's all I know about it. For that matter, I have seen very few movies, they tend to bore me. When I was a kid, the TV was unplugged and facing the wall most of the time except for the evening news, the Wizard of Oz once a year, and maybe a National Geographic special occasionally...we had to read the Sunday NY Times, US News, and Newsweek, and were quizzed at the dinner table about what we had read and learned. Fun, huh? The life of a professor's kid.

Are you kidding me?

The Sound of Music is shown on ABC every year around Christmas. Just like clock work.

In fact, I recorded it on the DVR, and our 3 year old twins loved it so much, we have been watching it nearly every night since in 15 minute intervals.

As an interesting aside, The Sound of Music won academy awards in 1965 for Best Picture and Best Director.

I kid you not, I've never seen Miracle on whatever street that was, I've never seen Casablanca, even newer "must-see" stuff like the Exorcist, I've never seen any of them. I hear movies all the time when the kids are watching them in the other room, but I rarely sit down and watch. My better half made me watch Happy Feet several weeks ago, and I was so antsy and edgy that I got up 1/2 way through and ran some laundry.

If it makes you feel any better, I've never seen Miracle on whatever street either (with Jimmy Stewart), and I'm almost embarrassed to admit it.

I tell myself I'm going to watch it every year when it comes on TV around Christmas time, but it's never worked out.

I haven't seen it completely and don't intend to. The definitive Christmas movie is A Christmas Story with Darren McGavin :)

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

I always liked Roberta's voice, sort of a smoky smoothness- and there's also Anita Baker. If you like Flack, you'll like her, too. She started about 15 years ago, bailed for a few years to raise her family, and just got back into the recording biz again. The passing years made her voice better, like a fine wine.

I've got a lot of those albums. :) Nothing like vocals on vinyl.

Would you believe it if I told you that Anita Baker is my favorite recording artist? :)

I have every cd she has ever released, including one she released when she was the lead singer of a group, although I can't remember the name right now.