An Evening with Harry Belafonte & Friends

by

Harry Belafonte

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Harry Belafonte has always been regarded as one of music's best entertainers, as well as one of entertainment's best humanitarians. His music has touched so many lives through the years because it is so eminently listenable; one can't help but feel good about life when his songs are played.

So along comes "An Evening With Harry Belafonte & Friends", a made-for-PBS concert special. When I saw the special on TV, I enjoyed it so much that I immediately began watching for this CD to come out. Fortunately, Mr. Belafonte and PBS did release the show, and repeated listens to this CD do nothing to diminish the wonderful performance that took place.

Here, Mr. Belafonte collects some great musicians to drive the music. But, unlike other peformers, he does much to share the spotlight with them. This is exemplified in his stepping aside for two tracks to highlight the talented Richard Bona, who performs two hauntingly beautiful songs that fit very nicely into this set. Mr. Belafonte's vocals may not be entirely what they once were, but not much is missing here; he conveys both calm and power with his vocals as the show progresses, showing he can still deliver a quality performance.

One of Mr. Belafonte's trademarks is audience participation, making a live performance of his even more enjoyable to listen to. That is highlighted in this show when he leads the audience through his classics "Matilda", "Jamaican Farewell", and "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)". All the songs in this performance fit very nicely as he moves back and forth from the up-tempo to mellow and back again. A highlight of this concert is a goregeous rendition of "Try To Remember", which he dedicated to the late Audrey Hepburn, his fellow UNICEF ambassador. He explained (in the video, but not on this accompanying CD) she always asked him to sing that song, so he does here in her memory. It is a poignant moment that precedes a powerful set of songs that close the show.

There is nothing in the way of criticism or negative aspects of this CD that can be mentioned. It is quite simply a essential CD to have in your collection because it is such a wonderful musical experience that you will never grow tired of listening to. It is also a great display of Harry Belafonte's talents, proving the theory that the classics just keep getting better with age.