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Anita Baker


_Sweet Willie_

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I caught Anita's "You Bring Me Joy" on the radio in the car this morning. I have always loved her voice, and that song is absolutely kickin'. The bass work is shmoov on the track as well.

 

I find it funny that I own not a CD, LP, or cassette of hers, but I really enjoy hearing her music. I do have a couple of her songs on a mix cassette that a deejay pal of mine made me back in high school. I must remedy this situation and purchase something of hers.

 

What's your take on Anita Baker? Any favorite songs or albums?

 

Peace.

--SW

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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Uh, I think I'm in the same boat as you, Sweet. (I could have sworn I bought one of her cds, but I can't seem to find it.) Even more of a sin for me to slight a fellow Detroiter.

 

I used to listen to her all the time on local radio WJZZ in the late 80s and 90s before they changed format. I love her sweet voice, too. The only thing I can remember off-hand was her hit "Sweet Love". (Maybe she wrote it about you?) ;)

 

There's a link on her site to a site that gives a fairly in-depth biography worth reading. According to them, she only has 5 albums. Might as well buy them all! :thu:

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Originally posted by RicBassGuy:

The only thing I can remember off-hand was her hit "Sweet Love".

That's a GREAT song! If it were about me it would've been "Sweet Luv". ;)

 

Thanks for putting up links I was too lazy to Google for!

 

Peace.

--SW

spreadluv

 

Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars.

Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk.

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I love Anita Baker! I remember the video of her singing in front of Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, and always wondered if that was her family that owned that place. Such a voice! I have her "Rapture" album (on vinyl) that had "Sweet Love" and "Giving You The Best That I've Got" (my personal favorite).

 

Where's she been, though? Haven't heard much from her lately...

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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i believe that's Jimmy Haslip on most of those cuts- her music is certainly pleasant, i have heard, however, that she herself can be rather unpleasant and demanding....

what????! a shocker ???? hmmm, not quite, i am amazed at how many "stars" let things go to their heads.... do you lose your niceness when you make it big, or maybe there was never any real niceness... in any case, it shouldn't be that way- you get more flies with honey.. but her tracks are cool.

Praise ye the LORD.

....praise him with stringed instruments and organs...

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.

excerpt from- Psalm 150

visit me at:

www.adriangarcia.net

for His glory

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I love Anita. My favorite is No One in The World. Man! She knows how to get maximum impact out of every note. She can't quite belt like Patti LaBelle but she has the same impact emotionally. Her voice seems to just soar.

 

Basswise I know Nathan East does a lot of work with her.

 

I can recommend 'Rhytm of Love'.

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Sweets. I own all of her albums and just recently purchased her latest which I have not yet listened to..

 

Nathan East is her primary bassist on all of her albums.. not sure if he is on the new disc...

you can really hear his Yamaha 5 string on her albums...the guy is awesome...

 

She can sing and has a very distinctive voice....and always a great band...

 

I hope to see her perform live one of these days...

www.danielprine.com

 

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where did i get the idea it was Haslip? Nathan is great- greatest transparent bassist on Eatrh- i mean that as a compliment. He does the song justice without being overbearing at all- very tasteful.

Praise ye the LORD.

....praise him with stringed instruments and organs...

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD.

excerpt from- Psalm 150

visit me at:

www.adriangarcia.net

for His glory

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"Ready" Freddie Washington, Neil Stubenhaus and Jimmy Haslip on the first hit Anita Baker cd , Rapture, (which was not her first album--that was Songstress in 1983) and Nathan East played on pretty much most of the rest of the cds.

 

Sweet Love was co-written by Louis Johnson..no wonder I like the bassline.

 

I like playing Same Ole Love, too.

 

And as bassaddik says, she's not easy to work for...one of my friends turned down the gig.

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Originally posted by Tedster:

I love Anita Baker! I remember the video of her singing in front of Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, and always wondered if that was her family that owned that place. Such a voice! I have her "Rapture" album (on vinyl) that had "Sweet Love" and "Giving You The Best That I've Got" (my personal favorite).

 

Where's she been, though? Haven't heard much from her lately...

Who let Ted in here? :eek: (Aren't you supposed to be busy tracking right now, bro?) :P

 

Last time I went to Baker's they had open mic night and after a while this bass player joins the house band and plays pretty well ... and then just plays an AMAZING extended solo on URB! There's just something magical about a jazz solo on URB; the whole place went wild when he was done! (Something even more magical about a packed room that can appreciate a bass solo.) :cool: I got to sit maybe 10 ft away from him while he played.

 

I guess I won't be playing Baker's anytime soon. It'll take me a few decades to get that good on URB. :(

 

Don't know who owns Baker's, and can't say I've kept up with Anita's comings-and-goings. Just thought I'd share a BKL story. (For those visiting Detroit, you gotta stop here. Arrive early for parking and a place to sit once inside. It's, um, "cozy" in there.)

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The bassists for Anita Baker are literally the who's who of the top studio cats!

 

  • Songstress - Nathan East
  • Rapture - Jimmy Haslip, Neil Stubenhaus, David B. Washington, Freddie Washington
  • Giving You The Best That I Got - Nathan East
  • Compositions - Nathan East
  • Rhythm Of Love - James Genus, Nathan East
  • A Night Of Rapture [Live] - Gerald Albright
  • My Everything - Alex Al, Gerald Albright, Nathan East, Reggie Hamilton, Jimmy Haslip, Ronald Jenkins, Al Turner

www.myspace.com/thefunkfather
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Gerald Albright is nowadays known mostly for his sax playing but he is an excellent bass player as well.

 

When I saw Ms. Baker, Albright was playing bass.

There was an alto sax on a stand. I couldn't figure out why it was there. There were horn players but they were on the other side of the stage.

 

On the very last song, the keyboard player started playing the bass part and Albright put down his bass and picked up the sax.

 

He killed. I was impressed that someone could pick up a cold wind instrument (it was outdoors at night) and not need any warmup or tuning and still sound so good.

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Great! I've always wanted to ask whether it was the same Gerald Albright who plays sax that also plays bass :confused: .

Thanx Jeremy. :thu: Is he still alive, or is it Groover Washington who died/ I nearly had a bet with someone who said Gerald died. Let me search the net.

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