"Ordinary Joe" put him on the map, "Look At Me Now" turned him into a crate digger's must have, but What Color Is Love? stands as his magnum opus. Terry Callier began his career in Chicago as a folk singer in the 60's. He evolved to meld his jazzy folk sound with more traditional funk and soul music. He received some critical acclaim for his body of work but never achieved the commercial success that he frankly deserved. He was such a relative unknown that while working at The University of Chicago in the 90's (albeit well after the main arc of his music career), he was asked to play some reunion shows in Europe and his co-workers were in disbelief that he had ever played music at all. What Color Is Love? is really the culmination of the merging of all his musical styles, with the centerpiece being the stone cold epic "You Goin' To Miss Your Candyman", a slow building take on the traditional blues song "I Know You Rider", chock full of congas, vintage Chicago-style horn fills, and Callier's velvety smooth tenor. The sweetest song on the record, "Just As Long As We're In Love" display's the veracity of Callier's range and a beautiful coda with Callier and a female chorus reverberating, 'Just as long as we're in love we'll be alright". True words indeed, truer music.
Buy this record when you're laid up with the flu bug and need a little spiritual healing.
www.myspace.com/terrycallier
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