Chaka Khan - Chaka (black music•ol' skool)

Glorioso debut para la cantante Chaka Khan, en su homónimo álbum exuda negrura y femineidad por los poros y muestra una energía imponente, las canciones son fabulosas y la banda es infernal.

Se distinguen las reivindicativas I'm Every Woman y I'm a Woman in a Man's World; la emoción pura de Roll Me Through the Rushes; y los super animados ejemplos de una música disco poco a poco en retirada: Life is a Dance y Some Love.

Entre la crema de músicos de sesión de fines de los setentas que acompaña a Chaka Khan se destacan los bajistas Will Lee, Anthony Jackson, Hamish Stuart y Phil Upchurch.

We Got the Love incluye la participación estelar de George Benson engalanando la sesión para hacer un dúo a dos voces.

Chaka incluye varios intérpretes blancos (Randy y Mike Brecker, David Sanborn, Ronnie Cuber, Rick Marotta) tocando de manera formidable una música sustancialmente negra. La explicación es sencilla: cuando se maximiza el talento y se minimiza la animosidad, no hay barreras. La música une.

Chaka Kahn es una morocha bien exhuberante.

Simplemente no se puede tener una voz más atrayente e intensa.

Pocas cantantes como Chaka Khan.****1/2

1.I'm Every Woman 4:05

(Ashford-Simpson)

piano Richard Tee

drums Steve Ferrone

guitars Phil Upchurh & Hamish Stuart

bass Will Lee

background vocals

Chaka Khan, Hamish Stuart, Will Lee

2.Love Has Fallen On Me 4:51

(C. Stepney-L. Webber)

piano Richard Tee

drums Steve Ferrone

guitars Phil Upchurh & Hamish Stuart

bass Anthony Jackson

background vocals

Chaka Khan, Cissy Houston

trumpet Randy Brecker

alto George Young

tenor Michael Brecker

trombone Barry Rogers

baritone Ronnie Cuber

3.Roll Me Through The Rushes 4:41

(D. Lasley-L. Marrano)

electric piano Leon Pendarvis

drums Rick Marotta

guitars Phil Upchurh & Cornell Dupree

bass Will Lee

background vocals

Cissy Houston, David Lasley,

Hamish Stuart

French horns Brook Tillotson & Gene Buffington

harp Gene Blanco

4.Sleep On It 4:19

(A. Kastner-Andrew Kastner)

piano Richard Tee

drums Steve Ferrone

guitars Phil Upchurh & Hamish Stuart

bass Anthony Jackson

background vocals

Chaka Khan, Hamish Stuart, Will Lee,

Alan Gorrie

French horns Brook Tillotson & Gene Buffington

S.R.M. Synthesizer Ken Bichel (CAT)

5.Life Is A Dance 4:19

(Cavin Christopher)

clavinet Richard Tee

drums Steve Ferrone

guitars Phil Upchurh & Hamish Stuart

bass Will Lee

background vocals

Chaka Khan, Hamish Stuart,

Alan Gorrie, Will Lee

trumpet Randy Brecker

alto George Young

tenor Michael Brecker

trombone Barry Rogers

baritone Ronnie Cuber

6.We Got The Love 3:26

(George Benson)

electric piano Arthur Jenkins

drums Steve Ferrone

Phil Upchurh bass

guitar Hamish Stuart

background vocals

Chaka Khan & George Benson

congas Rafael Cruz

S.R.M. Synthesizer Ken Bichel (CAT)

trumpet Randy Brecker

alto George Young

tenor Michael Brecker

trombone Barry Rogers

baritone Ronnie Cuber

7.Some Love 5:50

(C. Khan-K. Boyd, Jr.-M. Stevens-T. Sapik)

piano Richard Tee

drums Steve Ferrone

guitars Phil Upchurh & Onnie McIntyre

bass Mark Stevens

vocals Chaka Khan

flugelhorn & trumpet Randy Brecker

alto Dave Sanborn

tenor Michael Brecker

tenor solo Michael Brecker

French horns John Clark & Brook Tillotson

percussion Airto Moreira

8.A Woman In A Man's World 3:56

(A. Kastner-L. J. McNally)

piano Richard Tee

drums Steve Ferrone

guitars Hamish Stuart & Andrew Kastner

bass Phil Upchurch

congas Sammy Figueroa

S.R.M. Synthesizer Ken Bichel (CAT)

alto solo Dave Sanborn

trumpet Randy Brecker

bass trombone Paul Faulise

French horns John Clark & Brook Tillotson

9.The Message In The Middle Of The Bottom 4:15

(Lalomi Washburn)

clavinet Arthur Jenkins

drums Steve Ferrone

bass Hamish Stuart

guitars Onnie McIntyre & Phil Upchurch

congas Rafael Cruz

all vocals Chaka Khan

trumpet Randy Brecker

bass trombone Paul Faulise

French horns John Clark & Brook Tillotson

cello Jesse Levy, Kermit Moore,

Richard Bock

tenor solo Michael Brecker

10.I Was Made To Love Him 3:23

(H. Cosby-L. Hardaway-S. Wonder-S. Moy)

clavinet & piano Richard Tee

drums Steve Ferrone

guitars Phil Upchurh & Hamish Stuart

bass Anthony Jackson

background vocals

Chaka Khan, Terri Gonzalez,

Mark Stevens, Will Lee

guitar solo Tony Maiden

Strings: Gene Orloff (concertmaster), K. Moore, Jim Abramowitz,

J. Levy, G. Marge, J. Malin, F. Buldrini, J. Barber, M. Takayama,

R. Israel, R. Iandiorio, M. Morgenstern, K. Kohon, S. Allen,

P. Winter, G. Lumia, E. Bianco, R. Bock, R. Sortomme.

Atlantic Recording Studio, NY

Cherokee Recording Studio, Los Angeles, CA

Originally released in 1978

Warner Bros. 9362-46640-2 (1998)