The much-loved and much-missed songstress Phyllis Hyman’s debut album for Arista Records, 1979’s SOMEWHERE IN MY LIFETIME was an amalgam of six tracks from Sing A Song, her second LP for Buddah Records and four new tracks she recorded after Buddah became defunct and was bought by Arista.
With production by T. Life, her then-husband Larry Alexander and renowned songwriter Skip Scarborough and Arista labelmate Barry Manilow (responsible with Ron Dante for the title track), SOMEWHERE IN MY LIFETIME featured major players such as Onaje Allen Gumbs, Herbie Hancock, Bob Babbitt, Azar Lawrence, Monty Alexander and Will Lee. The album reached No. 15 on the U.S. R&B charts and spawned two charted singles, the title cut which became Phyllis’ first Top 20 R&B hit and a cover of pop rock group Exile’s ‘Kiss You All Over,’ a dance music/club hit.
Reissue with the latest remastering. Stellar reed work from Azar Lawrence – a player who's best known for his acoustic revival in recent years, but who could play with some excellent electric backings during the 70s! The set's less an electric funk outing than it is a spiritual jazz set, with keyboards and guitar in the mix – beautifully put together by the young Skip Scarborough, with a feel that's very similar to Gary Bartz's work with Larry Mizell!
Great late 70s work from Jimmy Smith – two albums back to back on a single CD! One of our favorite later albums from organist Jimmy Smith – and a set that cooks heavily in a wicked blend of jazz, funk, and soul! The style's a bit like the groove that Johnny Hammond hit during his Gears period – arranged by Eugene McDaniels and Alan Silvestri, with an approach that's somewhere between Larry Mizell and Skip Scarborough – tight grooves, bits of vocals, yet plenty of room for Smith's keyboard solos to take off over the top! Players include Herbie Hancock on piano, Alan Silvestri on guitar, and Lenny White on drums – but the main star is Jimmy – who's grooving massively over the top of the album, with soaring solos that are some of his best work from the late 70s.