Berklee today

OCT 2014

Berklee today is the official alumni publication of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a forum for contemporary music and musicians.

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By Mark Small '73 Photography by Ron Batzdorff In the music industry, where marketing is done through polished PR campaigns, eye-catching music videos, and social media strategies, it's refreshing to see an artist garner attention for being herself. Lalah Hathaway's cameo appear- ance singing the song "Something" on last year's live album and video Family Dinner, Volume 1 by Snarky Puppy lit up YouTube because of video foot- age of Hathaway's multiphonic singing. Producing two pitches at once is not unusual for singing Tibetan monks and in some ethnic music styles, but not in American popular music. Hathaway has experimented with the technique since she was a teenager, but she hadn't found the right showcase for it until now. Her performance against Snarky Puppy's funk/jazz accompaniment to "Something" sent the video viral and earned Hathaway and the band the Best R&B; Performance Grammy last February. It was the beginning of a career renais- sance for Hathaway. No stranger to music fans, she has released six albums under her own name and collaborated on many others with top musicians of the jazz and r&b; world over the past 24 years. She's landed on the r&b; charts with her own albums, and The Song Lives On, her collaboration with pianist Joe Sample, hit num- ber two on the jazz charts. Her cover of "Forever, for Always, for Love," a tribute to Luther Vandross, hit number one on the adult r&b; charts. All this suc- cess notwithstanding, things rose to a new level for Hathaway after winning the Grammy. Last summer, she completed her frst tour of Europe, headlining shows at top festivals and clubs. While there, she also sandwiched in appear- ances with jazz/r&b; pianist Robert Glasper and the Metropole Orkest as well as a gig with bassist Christian McBride. At the least, her European for- ay opened doors for return bookings and started the gears turning for a future recording with Vince Mendoza and the Metropole Orkest and a bass-vocal duo outing with McBride. Born in Chicago, the Hathaway family, comprising father Donny, mother Eulaulah, sister Kenya, and Lalah, were all endowed with abundant musical gifts. Donny Hathaway was a producer, arranger, songwriter, and ses- sion pianist and singer before establishing himself as a major voice in soul music during the 1970s. His 1972 album Donny Hathaway—Live is hailed as one of the best in the live-album genre. He enjoyed considerable success as a solo artist and with duet recordings with Roberta Flack until his untimely death in 1979. Lalah's mother, Eulaulah, was a classically trained singer, and Kenya '95 is a sought- after background vocalist who has sung on some 34 episodes of American Idol and worked with George Duke, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Céline Dion, and others. For Lalah, the legacy of her father has served as an inspiration rather than a shadow. She inherited his gift for songwriting and for crafting unique interpretations of the songs by others. She formally entered the business with her eponymous debut album recorded while she was a Berklee student and released in October of 1990. Hathaway has issued albums on such labels as Virgin, Mesa/Bluemoon, GRP Records, and Stax, and she's cur- rently in the fnal months of a PledgeMusic campaign to fund a new live album. Given that her live work catalyzed her recent career resurgence, making a live album shows good instinct and continues a family tradition. Multiphonic Renaissance

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