In Good Company (Joe Williams album)

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In Good Company
Studio album by
Joe Williams
Released1989
GenreVocal jazz
LabelVerve
Joe Williams chronology
Every Night: Live at Vine St.
(1987) 		In Good Company
(1989) 		That Holiday Feelin'
(1990)

In Good Company is an album by the American musician Joe Williams, released in 1989.[1][2] It was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male".[3] Williams supported the album with a North American tour.[4] In Good Company peaked in the top five of Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.[5]

Production[edit]

Williams duetted with Marlena Shaw on Louis Jordan's "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" and "Baby You Got What It Takes", the song made famous by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton.[6] "Just Friends" is a version of the John Klenner and Sam M. Lewis song.[7] Shirley Horn sang on "Too Good to Be True" and "Love Without Money".[8] Williams was backed by Supersax on "Embraceable You" and "Just Friends".[9] Henry Johnson played guitar on the album; Norman Simmons contributed on piano.[9][10] Williams was still capable of moving through three vocal octaves.[11]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[13]

The Los Angeles Times praised "Williams's consistently potent sound."[9] USA Today noted his "sinuous range and meaty bass."[14] The Ottawa Citizen called the album "an engaging collection but not one that stands close scrutiny," but admired the version of "Ain't Got Nothing but the Blues".[15] The Washington Post labeled it "one of the best jazz vocal albums of the year," writing that Williams "has lost a bit of his range and power, but ... he has honed his phrasing to such a sharp edge that the most familiar standard becomes a starkly personal statement."[8] The Boston Globe said that Williams "carries the weight here with great style and polished grace."[16]

AllMusic wrote that "Williams shows that at 70 he still had the magic."[12]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Just Friends" 
2."Baby You Got What It Takes" 
3."How Deep Is the Ocean" 
4."Love Without Money" 
5."Ain't Got Nothing but the Blues" 
6."Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" 
7."Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" 
8."Too Good to Be True" 
9."Embraceable You" 
10."Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Herguth, Bob (28 Apr 1989). "Joe Williams". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 20.
  2. ^ Friedwald, Will (2010). A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. Knopf Doubleday. p. 524.
  3. ^ "Joe Williams". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  4. ^ Troup, Stuart (26 June 1989). "Joe Williams Could Do Without the Help". Part II. Newsday. p. 7.
  5. ^ "By the Numbers". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. Billboard. 28 Aug 1989. p. 2.
  6. ^ Holden, Stephen (25 June 1989). "Joe Williams, at 70, in Songs of Many Moods". The New York Times. p. A45.
  7. ^ Gioia, Ted (2021). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. Oxford University Press. p. 239.
  8. ^ a b Himes, Geoffrey (6 Oct 1989). "Williams at 70 is 'Good Company'". The Washington Post. p. WW26.
  9. ^ a b c Feather, Leonard (16 July 1989). "Jazz". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 60.
  10. ^ Levesque, Roger (25 Feb 1990). "In Good Company Joe Williams". Edmonton Journal. p. D4.
  11. ^ Crockett, Walter (2 Sep 1990). "Joe Williams: 'I do it because I love it'". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 8.
  12. ^ a b "In Good Company Review by Scott Yanow". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  13. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
  14. ^ Jones IV, James T. (7 Aug 1989). "The jazz singer is back in vogue". USA Today. p. 2D.
  15. ^ Moody, Lois (1 Sep 1989). "Joe still a marvel at 70". Ottawa Citizen. p. B6.
  16. ^ Murphy, Ray (26 Oct 1989). "Joe Williams". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 6.
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