Harry Belafonte Love Songs CD

Personnel: Harry Belafonte (vocals).
Arrangers: Hugo Montenegro; Robert Freedman; Marty Manning; William Eaton.
Harry Belafonte's influence on pop music is much more far reaching then many realize, as he was one of the first performers to bring worldbeat rhythms to the U.S. charts in the postwar era. His silky smooth mixture of jazz, folk, pop, and art song, often with impossibly infectious West Indies-styled accompaniment, coupled with his charismatic good looks and easy, hip coolness and sharp racial and political sense meant he was never reduced to being a mere commodity, even though he spent his whole career on major labels, most of those with RCA. This collection gathers 14 love songs from his various RCA albums, and the overall feel here is one of intelligent resignation and yearning, as Belafonte brings an elegant, reserved dignity to these melodies. Some of the obvious highlights include the opening track, a gorgeous and nuanced version of Ray Charles' "Hallelujah, I Love Her So," a gentle, delicate duet with Miriam Makeba on "My Angel (Malaika)," and "Angelina," a churning bit of calypso written by Irving Burgie. A singer whose careful, measured style makes the simplest phrase sound meaningful, intelligent and poignant, Belafonte gives these ballads and Caribbean tales of romance his signature treatment, and the result is delightful. Love Songs is the perfect record to play at that romantic dinner that needs a touch of real class, as song after song after song drifts by like the sweetest summer evening's breeze. ~ Steve Leggett
Harry Belafonte's stylistic range is vast, encompassing pop, jazz, folk, and world music. A compilation that restricts itself to Belafonte's love songs could not and should not be deemed comprehensive in any sense ("Day-O," for example, which would not make an appropriate courting anthem, is not included here). But the love song may be Belafonte's forte--his sophisticated style, smooth delivery, and radiant voice have such sultry qualities that smoke rises off even his most casual vocal inflection.
The opener, a cover of Ray Charles's "Hallelujah, I Love Her So," is a case in point. A slinky, toned-down version of the original, Belafonte's performance is a study in seduction. Though the collection focuses only on Belafonte's swoon-inducing material, there are samples of his famed West Indies flavor with Calypso songs like "Angelina" and "My Angel (Malaika), a duet with Miriam Makeba. The two tunes from PORGY & BESS (with Lena Horne sharing vocal duties on "Bess, You Is My Woman") are among the highlights on this well selected and--yes--romantic collection.