Lalah Hathaway Live

Lalah Hathaway’s smoky, sonorous voice anchors these concert performances of neo-soul. She re-introduces us to songs from throughout her career, as her band injects small yet striking touches, like the acoustic guitar flickering on “Little Girl / Breathe,” and the steadying bass behind “I’m Coming Back,” in which she soulfully and movingly recommits herself to a lover. She makes her mark on covers, too, including “Little Ghetto Boy,” a tribute to her late father Donny Hathaway, and Anita Baker’s “Angel,” a joyful sing-along with her adoring audience.

Following the release of Where It All Begins, her sixth album, as well as subsequent appearances on recordings by a few other artists, Lalah Hathaway received some long overdue recognition.