Roberta Flack Dead at 88
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I just saw this on the BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr2wl819pwo
An amazing talent. RIP Roberta
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr2wl819pwo
An amazing talent. RIP Roberta
So glad Rhino gave us Killing Me Softly so recently.
A new member stumbled onto (and posted about) this just a week or two ago, I think, but in case you missed it: check out Flack's cover of "What's Going On," which sat in a vault for 50 years until someone dug it out and turned it into one of the early Atmos streaming demo tracks:
A new member stumbled onto (and posted about) this just a week or two ago, I think, but in case you missed it: check out Flack's cover of "What's Going On," which sat in a vault for 50 years until someone dug it out and turned it into one of the early Atmos streaming demo tracks:
Very sad...
By sheer coincidence her name came up in the pub last Friday. I had no idea that 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' was written by Kirsty MacColl's father!
By sheer coincidence her name came up in the pub last Friday. I had no idea that 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' was written by Kirsty MacColl's father!
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the second disc In Memoriam
https://theseconddisc.com/2025/02/24/in-memoriam-roberta-flack-1937-2025/
https://theseconddisc.com/2025/02/24/in-memoriam-roberta-flack-1937-2025/
And Mike links to a 2020 appreciation by Ann Powers, updated today:
https://www.npr.org/2020/02/10/804370981/roberta-flack-the-virtuoso
That's a great read.
Killing Me Softly got endless radio play when it came out. Usually I tire of songs with that amount of exposure, but I never tire of that one. RIP Roberta.
Doug G.
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Very sad. RIP.
Doug
Doug
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Rest In Music, Power & Peace Roberta Flack.
I first heard the song on an album by Joe and Eddie, who had a moderate hit with “There’s a Meetin’ Here Tonight.” That was 1965 give or take.
Roberta put her own style on it, as well as several other songs from an important period in my life. She had a wonderful voice and a style that was unmatched.
RIP, Roberta, and thank you for some truly wonderful music.
In high school all the girls where digging Roberta and then she teamed up with Donny Hathaway and that caught my attention.
If you have 3-4 minutes, check out this article in the NYPost, no pay wall, you can read it free. It's about "Killing Me Softly". It's very interesting IMHO. Great insight to both the writer and Roberta.
https://nypost.com/2025/02/25/enter...roberta-flacks-death-killing-me-softly-cover/
https://nypost.com/2025/02/25/enter...roberta-flacks-death-killing-me-softly-cover/
Jazz pianist and blogger Ethan Iverson has a great rundown of Flack's debut album, First Take, on his Substack today:
https://iverson.substack.com/p/tt-492-roberta-flack-first-take
He also pays tribute to the album's string arranger William S. Fischer, a session music, bandleader, composer, and frequent arranger on Atlantic in the late 60s and early 70s. Fischer died two years ago at age 88.
https://iverson.substack.com/p/tt-492-roberta-flack-first-take
He also pays tribute to the album's string arranger William S. Fischer, a session music, bandleader, composer, and frequent arranger on Atlantic in the late 60s and early 70s. Fischer died two years ago at age 88.
I have been getting into the tracks from on the second bonus disc tracks from First Take 50th anniversary limited edition box set, streaming on Apple.
(Try some of these on a Surround Master)
Nine minutes of Coltrane's version of Afro Blue, bass & drum solos from the stellar jazz trio on the session:
2020 anniversary edition – bonus disc[7]
(Try some of these on a Surround Master)
Nine minutes of Coltrane's version of Afro Blue, bass & drum solos from the stellar jazz trio on the session:
- Roberta Flack – piano, vocals
- Bucky Pizzarelli – guitar
- Ron Carter – bass
- Ray Lucas – drums, percussion
2020 anniversary edition – bonus disc[7]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All the Way" (live) | 8:39 | |
| 2. | "This Could Be the Start of Something" | Steve Allen | 1:23 |
| 3. | "Groove Me" | King Floyd | 4:19 |
| 4. | "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" | Jimmy Cox | 6:24 |
| 5. | "Hush-a-Bye" | Traditional | 5:33 |
| 6. | "Afro Blue" | 9:21 | |
| 7. | "It's Way Past Suppertime" |
| 3:53 |
| 8. | "Frankie and Johnny" | Traditional | 7:15 |
| 9. | "On the Street Where You Live" | 2:45 | |
| 10. | "The House Song" |
| 5:54 |
| 11. | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson | 3:25 |
| 12. | "The Song Is Love" |
| 5:20 |
| 13. | "To Sir with Love" | 8:27 |
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