''Forever, for Always, for Luther'', released on July 27, 2004, by
GRP Records, is a smooth jazz various artists tribute album, with ten popular songs written by
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...
. The album featured vocal arrangements by Luther, and was produced by
Rex Rideout and Bud Harner.
Rideout had co-authored songs and contributed arrangements and played keyboards on Luther's final three albums. The tribute album was mixed by Ray Bardani, who recorded and mixed most of Luther's music over the years.
It featured an ensemble of jazz performers, many of whom had previously worked with Luther. The artists on the album were:
*
Lalah Hathaway (4),
Lisa Fischer
Lisa Fischer (born December 1, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter. She found success with her 1991 debut album ''So Intense'', which produced the Grammy Award–winning hit single "How Can I Ease the Pain". She has been a back-up singer ...
(8),
Brenda White (8), Cindy Mizelle (8),
Fonzi Thornton (8),
Ledisi (7) – vocals
* Rex Rideout (1-5, 7-10),
Brian Culbertson (6) – keyboards
*
Sundra Manning (2, 4) –
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
*
George Benson (9),
Ray Fuller (4),
Paul Jackson Jr.
Paul Milton Jackson Jr. (born December 30, 1959) is an American fusion/urban jazz composer, arranger, producer and guitarist. He was born and raised in Los Angeles. Jackson knew by the age of fifteen that he wanted to become a professional musi ...
(1-3, 6, 7),
John Pondel (9),
Dwight Sills Dwight may refer to:
People
* Dwight (given name)
* Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), 34th president of the United States and former military officer
*New England Dwight family of American educators, military and political leaders, and authors
* ...
(8, 10),
Ty Stevens (5) – guitar
*
Alex Al (3, 7, 8) – acoustic and electric bass
*
Sekou Bunch (1, 2, 4) – acoustic bass
*
Steve Ferrone
Steve Ferrone (born 25 April 1950) is an English drummer. He is known as a member of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1994 to 2017, replacing original drummer Stan Lynch, and as part of the "classic lineup" of the Average Whi ...
(5, 10), Michael White (1, 2, 4) – drums
*
Lenny Castro
Lenny or Lennie may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Lenny (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Lennie (surname), a list of people
* Lenny (singer) (born 1993), Czech songwriter
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''L ...
(1, 2, 4, 6, 10) – percussion
*
Mindi Abair (5),
Dave Koz (6) – alto saxophone
*
Richard Elliot (8),
Boney James (3, 7),
Kirk Whalum (1) – tenor saxophone
*
Brandon Fields (4, 5) – saxophone
* Lee Thornburg (4, 5, 9) – trumpet
*
Rick Braun (10) – trumpet
*
Nick Lane (4, 5, 9) – trombone
Several songs from the album received airplay on jazz and R&B stations, but Hathaway's cover of "Forever, for Always, for Love" was the biggest success, becoming a #1 Adult R&B hit, reaching the Top 40 on the main R&B chart, and even approaching the
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
(it "bubbled under" at #112).
On November 21, 2006, saxophonist
Dave Koz released a follow-up to the earlier GRP tribute album, this time a Luther tribute album by various artists on his own
Rendezvous Entertainment
Rendezvous Music (formerly known as Rendezvous Entertainment) is a record label founded by multiple-Grammy Award nominee and RIAA Certified Gold recording artist Dave Koz, radio entrepreneur Frank Cody and music business veteran Hyman Katz in 200 ...
label, called ''
Forever, for Always, for Luther Volume II'', also produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner. Dave Koz played on all the follow-up album's tracks, which were recorded by smooth jazz artists
Patti Austin
Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter.
Music career
Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...
,
Gerald Albright,
Jonathan Butler,
Norman Brown,
Will Downing,
Everette Harp,
Jeff Lorber,
Maysa,
Najee,
Wayman Tisdale,
Kevin Whalum and
Kirk Whalum.
''Forever, for Always, for Luther Volume II''
smoothvibes.com
Track listing
# " Any Love"
# " Never Too Much"
# "Wait for Love
"Wait for Love" is a 1985 song by American recording artist Luther Vandross released in 1985. The song was released as a single to support his album '' The Night I Fell in Love''. The single peaked to eleven on ''Billboards'' Hot R&B Singles char ...
"
# "Forever, for Always, for Love"
# " Stop to Love"
# "If Only for One Night
"If Only for One Night" is a song written and originally performed by American singer-songwriter Brenda Russell on her self-titled debut studio album in 1979. In 1988, in Europe, it was issued as the B-side of her single "Gravity".
The song wa ...
"
# "My Sensitivity (Gets in the Way)"
# "Your Secret Love
''Your Secret Love'' is the tenth studio album by American R&B recording artist Luther Vandross, released by Epic in October 1996. The album's title track won the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best R&B Song at the 39t ...
"
# " Take You Out"
# " Dance with My Father”
References
{{Authority control
Luther Vandross tribute albums
2004 compilation albums
Smooth jazz compilation albums
GRP Records compilation albums