Which Willie Weeks cuts should I listen to?

[Lichtaffen]

I know about the Donny Hathaway Live album (which I can't find as a digital download), but what other great Willie Weeks recordings would you recommend? Please list artist/song/ album because I'll probably download from iTunes and I don't want to download a whole album if he's not the bass player throughout. Thanks.

[JTE]

I'd say all of 'em...

OK, it's hard to dismiss any of the live Donny Hathaway stuff so just bite the bullet and get the whole thing. I can't say "Little Ghetto Boy" is better or worse than "What' Going On" or "Everything Is Everything (Voices Inside)" or "jealous Guy", etc. Same with John Scofield's tribute to Ray Charles, "That's What I Say". Willie's on every track, well recorded, and contributes to the whole album's cohesiveness.

Surf Youtube for recent Clapton, especially the Clapton/Winwood that PBS aired a few months ago.

I also like what he played on "No One Else On Earth" and "My Strongest Weakness" by Wynonna Judd, bothe from "Wynonna". It's a good choice for the whole album because Weeks is on seven of the ten tracks, with Leland Sklar on two others (songwriter Paul Kennerley plays all the insruments one the final track).

John

[Lichtaffen]

Originally Posted by JTE

I'd say all of 'em...

Haha! I would if I knew which ones were his.

Thanks for the input. By the way, I finally realized what was going on in your avatar. Love it! Genius.

[ransombass]

Buddy Guy's disc "Skin Deep". Awesome tone, deep pocket, greasy grooves and did I mention awesome tone.

He's also on the Clapton/Winwood DVD from their last tour together.

Willie is one of my all-time heroes.

[ahc]

"Danny's All-Star Joint" from Rickie Lee Jones' self-titled first (I think) album. One solid groovin' cut And the rest ain't too shabby either.
Al

[emdsd]

For something vintage and maybe a little obscure...Joe Walsh "You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind" Live 1976. The recording could be better...

[Tim C.]

I saw Willie Weeks on the Clapton/Winwood tour a while back and with Clapton again on the Daltrey/Clapton tour back in February, going to see him again in a few days for the Crossroads Guitar Festival. I wish they had him turned up a little higher in the band mix but he is an awesome player.

[funkytoe]

Lichtaffen -- I have a treasured CD copy of the Donny Hathaway Live album. If you want to make a copy of it, I would be happy to mail you my CD -- as long as you promise to return it when you have made your copy. . Just send me a pm with a mailing address if interested.

[bottomzone]

Willie played some great bass on Neil Larsen's Jungle Fever project. Here's the title track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW9hp...aynext_from=ML

This is very difficult to find on CD!!!

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

[MR PC]

Donny Hathaway, "Extensions of a Man". Willie did some great tracks with Delbert McClinton as well. Stevie Wonder "Innervisions" included his work too.

[jerry]

Originally Posted by bottomzone

Willie played some great bass on Neil Larsen's Jungle Fever project. Here's the title track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW9hp...aynext_from=ML

This is very difficult to find on CD!!!

A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

Big plus one on Jungle Fever, Weeks and drummer Andy Newmark were one of my favorite all time rhythm sections. That album is stock full of great grooves.

[corinpills]

Beyond Donnie Hathaway's live album, "Extensions Of A Man " has "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", an Al Kooper song from the first Blood, Sweat and Tears album. Some amazing rests in that recording and a real example of how much tempo can effect a song.

Also, Bowie's "Young Americans" has some good Willie Weeks lines and he did some great work with George Harrison spread across 4 kind of iffy albums.

[Lichtaffen]

I need to reignite this thread I started over a year ago. It's so hard to find good songs/albums involving Willie Weeks. Thanks to Funkytoe, I now have a copy of Donny Hathaway Live and if it was on vinyl, I would have worn out the grooves a long time ago. Top notch playing that has inspired my development as a musician. His tone is just so tasty and his playing is perfect for each song. Anyone care to chime in with some more cuts or full albums?

[greenrositti]

Check out "Papillon (aka Hot Butterfly)" from Chaka's Naughty album. One of my favorite grooves of all time. It doesn't hurt that Anthony Jackson came into his own on this album, either (and there are some other guys named Marcus and Will on it, too).

[Lichtaffen]

Thanks Greenrositti! How've you been, by they way?

I just found this playlist on Youtube for Willie Weeks and Andy Newmark:

Willie Weeks & Andy Newmark - YouTube

[So Low Bass]

Willie is the consummate professional. He doesn’t gyrate around the stage like an overgrown child, and always knows the style-at-hand that HE fits into. His demeanor, total presence, and playing broadcast one thing: security.

All of the Crossroads DVDs are winners. You’ll see him with Vince Gill on the Dallas one, and with Clapton and company on the other two. The Clapton/Winwood MSG DVD is also a great source for hearing AND watching the man.

[funkytoe]

Willie live with Clapton and Trucks in Japan - November 2006.
Good closeup of Willie's playing from about 35 seconds in forward...

Willie Weeks - Bass Solo - YouTube