Since departing from the
urban R&B group
Undacova in the late '90s,
Calvin Richardson has recorded infrequently. While his 1999 debut
nu-soul set,
Country Boy, was a knockout, it was critically underappreciated. He followed this in 2003 with another fine album,
2:35 P.M., and
When Love Comes in 2008. That said, his 2009 offering,
Facts of Life: The Soul of Bobby Womack, a full-length tribute to one of his primary influences, is a wildly ambitious but logical step. The dangers in doing a tribute to a legendary artist, especially
Womack, one of soul music's most storied and colorful legends as both a singer and songwriter, is a daunting task. But
Richardson's and
Womack's voices are very similar, though the latter's is not as rough as the former's and has more
gospel in it, which works very well in adding to most of these songs.
Rather than radically re-interpret
Womack's songs,
Richardson sticks close to the original arrangements, and as a result, is able to use his own rather unique vocal phrasing to set his versions apart. This works best on tracks such as
"Hairy Hippie," the beautiful ballad
Womack wrote for his brother that is equal parts Memphis and Nashville.
Richardson gets to the heart of
Womack's lyric and sings it like a tribute, and exponentially so -- the songwriter for his brother, the younger singer for his hero, thereby expanding the song's meaning. Another high point is the duet with
Ann Nesby on
"Love Has Finally Come at Last," where he allows his gospel roots to shine.
"Woman Got to Have It," is a little further from
Womack's version. The nu-soul groove is everywhere apparent, and
Richardson revels in it, having a direct feel for the link between past and present. The strangest, most elliptical moment here is
"Across 110th Street." Richardson doesn't have
Womack's grit, it comes off sounding more bewildered, confused, and disillusioned than the deep, declamatory statement of day-to-day life on the streets that
Womack gave us.
In all,
Richardson pulls this set off. It's a fitting paean to
Womack, but also a sign of his own maturity as a vocalist who is in full possession of his gifts. ~ Thom Jurek
