Dance With My Father - Vandross, Luther (CD 2003)

Unfortunately, as I write this review, Luther Vandross lays in a New York hospital, comatose since suffering a stroke nearly two months ago. It's a shame, because at this point in an illustrious career which has found him noted as perhaps the premiere soul singer of the past 25 or so years, Luther should be basking in the consistency of his career. Since his solo debut in 1981, Luther's albums have never been worse than slightly above average (the covers collection "Songs" being the one exception). His latest, "Dance With My Father" contains Luther's signature mix of exquisitely sung ballads marked by the successful integration of some of R&B and hip-hop's hottest names.

Any discussion of Luther Vandross first has to involve his voice. In an age when R&B (and pop) singers standard M.O. is to sing until the vein bulges out the side of their head, Luther has maintained his signature, even-keeled, dramatic approach. He emphasizes the lyrics of the songs instead of screaming them out, helping to create a mood (which 9 times out of ten is usually romantic!)

Luther manages to create a good album without the assistance of sampled beats or big-name production. He wrote and produced almost all of the album by himself, with the same collaborators he has had almost right throughout his career: bassist Marcus Miller being the most prominent. And while Luther is primarily known as a balladeer, on this album he steps his songwriting game up and creates several intriguing songs with stories behind them.

The slow-burning "If I Didn't Know Better" questions the intentions of a friend who is perhaps a little too close for her own good. Luther wonders why she says she "thinks of (him) like a brother" when she obviously demonstrates a romantic interest. "Buy Me A Rose" and the album's sentimental title track are songs that would be absolute and utter cheese in the hands of any other singer, but Luther's yearning, smooth voice makes these songs come alive. Particularly touching is the beautiful title track, co-written with Richard Marx, in which Luther prays to god to bring his father back so he can have one last dance with his mother. The song is made all the more poignant considering Luther's current medical issues.

A Luther album wouldn't be a Luther album without some covers, and there are two here on this album. Busta Rhymes brings his usual energy to a smoothed-out cover of Bill Withers' "Lovely Day". While Busta & Luther are certainly an unusual duet, the song does work in it's original version (a dull remix by Naughty By Nature's Kaygee is also included here). He also tackles Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway's gem "The Closer I Get To You", with Beyonce Knowles teaming as the duet partner. The two turn out to be an electric pairing-Beyonce turns down the wails, shreiks and runs that have been her trademark, and the two create a smoldering version of this classic.

The rest of the album features several gems, most notably "She Saw You", featuring a sly vocal from Luther as he explains to one of his boys that he needs to cover his tracks better. Another highlight is "Hit It Again", possibly the most aggressively sexual song Luther has ever recorded, featuring a breezy cameo from Queen Latifah, who proves she still has some MC skills in between being an Academy Award-nominated actress. Another top female MC, Foxy Brown, brings her smart-alecked rhyme style to the funky "If It Ain't One Thing", on which Luther grows increasingly fed up with his lady's diva-like ways.

This album is definitely one of Luther's stronger efforts. While there are a couple ballads that are beautifully sung but otherwise lacking (a given with any Luther album), "Dance With My Father" is one of this year''s better R&B efforts. It would be a shame if this album were to become the final chapter in Luther's legendary career.

Rating: 4 stars

Key tracks: "The Closer I Get To You", "Buy Me A Rose", "If I Didn't Know Better"