Donny Hathaway is popularly recognized as one of the most gifted vocalists to ever grace a stage. The unique timbre of his sultry tone combined with an uncanny touch for phrasing contributes to his immediately identifiable sound. He has served as an inspiration to countless singers and songwriters because of his captivating style. Yet despite his charismatic ability to affect listeners with his engaging voice, it is of equal importance to highlight Donny Hathaway as a masterfully accomplished musician, specifically as a pianist and an arranger. His songs are more like compositions, and his arrangements are more like orchestrations. His music is authentically soulful, while sophisticatedly simple.
Best known for R&B/Soul hits such as Where is the Love, Someday We’ll All Be Free and This Christmas, Hathaway’s complete talents as a pure musician are prominently evident in another of his signature works, The Ghetto. An instrumental recording with vocal coloring throughout, this piece exists on its surface as a funky jam session. Yet, upon further analysis Hathaway’s jazz acumen comes fully into focus throughout this masterpiece as he utilizes many techniques common to the genre. Most noteworthy is the fact that the song is presented in Dorian mode, a common jazz scale which allows for diverse chord changes and harmonic alterations. Hathaway also sets the song’s theme in the bass, creating an infectious groove which provides complete freedom to use his own instrument as a showcase of top flight keyboard playing ability through his own counter melodies and structured improvisations.
Another example of his accomplished playing is found in his live performance of Put Your Hand in the Hand, presented on the Flip Wilson Show. This particular version fully displays his tremendous feel for swing, while simultaneously incorporating traditional counterpoint into a gospel-driven backbeat. As with all of his music, Hathaway’s sound is both sincere and educated; spontaneous yet cerebral. He serves the R&B/Soul community as George Gershwin serves the Classical community; as an artist whose crossover works allows his audience a window into the greater meaning of music and its universality. Donny Hathaway is that universal artist, and his music fulfills that greater meaning.
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