Bobby Caldwell

by Bobby Caldwell

Overview

Bobby Caldwell is one of only a handful of white vocalists (Van Morrison and Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, to name a couple more) who legitimately transcended the blue-eyed soul tag. Caldwell's genuine mix of R&B and jazz signatures as well as his bittersweet yet buttery vocal tones conjure up images of a smoothed-out version of Chet Baker. On this, his breakthrough album, the native New Yorker scored a hit with the timeless "What You Won't Do for Love" and also polished off another near-classic on "My Flame." While a few of the compositions echo the dying grip of disco and some of Caldwell's vocal arrangements sound more like a hipper version of Tony Bennett ("Can't Say Goodbye"), the crooner does possess the pipes to carry the offering. Caldwell even tries his hand at the experimental on the short but sweet instrumental "Kalimba Song." Time will likely render much of Bobby Caldwell disposable, but at the album's best, the songs do carry a singular sound and contain the power to place themselves in a time period, which may just be good enough for lovers. The cut "What You Won't Do for Love" will always stack up, as even hip-hop producers saw fit to sample the horn riff and bass track a number of times (listen to 2Pac's "Do for Love," for one). ~ M.F. DiBella

Product Details

Release Date:	09/22/2023
Label:	Be With Records
UPC:	4251804141970
Rank:	4735

Tracks

1. Special to Me
2. My Flame
3. Love Won't Wait
4. Can't Say Goodbye
5. Come to Me
6. What You Won't Do For Love
7. Kalimba Song
8. Take Me Back to Then
9. Down for the Third Time

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bobby Caldwell   Primary Artist,Bass,Drums,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Saxophone,Vibraphone,Synthesizer
Mark Colby   Guest Artist,Saxophone
Benny Latimore   Guest Artist,Keyboards
George "Chocolate" Perry   Bass
Hollis "Bud" Burridge   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Andy Newmark   Drums
James Marshall   Trombone
Alfons Kettner   Guitar
Gary Lindsay   Clarinet
Mike Lewis   Saxophone
Joe Galdo   Drums
Ed Greene   Drums
Steve Mealy   Guitar
Chris Colelessor   Clarinet,Saxophone
John Paulus   Bass
Jeff Kievet   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Harold Seay   Drums
Bruce Malament   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Richie Velasquez   Bass

Technical Credits

Bobby Caldwell   Composer
George "Chocolate" Perry   Composer,Producer
Alfons Kettner   Composer
Mike Lewis   Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Ann Holloway   Producer
Marsha Radcliffe   Composer,Producer