Missin' Twenty Grand

Lately, every listen leaves me pondering. I once enjoyed the feminine falsetto and nostalgic blue-eyed soul quite straightforwardly. But as I learned about his background and the feelings placed in these songs, I began thinking about the deep nature behind that comfortable surface. Born in northern Michigan in 1947 and raised near Detroit, he first recorded with an a cappella trio in 1966. In the 1970s he joined the cast of Hair and formed a vocal group with five people he met there. From that group, he went on to Rosie with two women, debuting in 1976. He also began studio singing in New York, secured a songwriting contract in Los Angeles in 1978 and supplied Maxine Nightingale, Valerie Carter and Bonnie Raitt with songs.

This, his first solo album, followed those steps. Its title comes from the nightclub reputed to be Detroit's best in the 1960s. Love of solo soul and affection for its music overflow from the singing and songs. James Taylor, Boz Scaggs, Luther Vandross and Don Was, all closely connected with him, contributed their colour.