--=[ Forever For Always For Luther ]=--

Forever For Always For Luther (2004)

Through over a quarter-century of pouring his heart into the most tender of love songs, of stirring the most passionate of fires in women everywhere, Luther Vandross has become synonymous with smooth soul. Therefore, it's not surprising that his songs would translate readily to the smoothest of jazz interpretations. On 2004's FOREVER, FOR ALWAYS, FOR LUTHER, a gathering of jazz all-stars pays tribute to the legend.
Fittingly, the emphasis of the disc is on Vandross's ballads, which make up the bulk of his work. Saxophonists bookend the collection neatly, with Kirk Whalum gliding his way around the lightly rousing "Any Love" and Rick Braun closing the set with a take on Vandross's Grammy-winning "Dance with My Father." Another saxophonist, Mindi Abair, performs a nice rendition of one of his peppiest numbers--the 1985 hit "Stop to Love." Vandross's music also translates remarkably well to guitar, as Paul Jackson, Jr. and George Benson each offer polished, pleasant tunes. FOREVER, FOR ALWAYS, FOR LUTHER stands as a fitting homage to a modern R&B legend.













Forever For Always For Luther Vol II (2006)

This is the follow-up to the 2004 release : once again produced by Rex Rideout and Bud Harner, Vol. II boasts an unparalleled group of smooth jazz stars who join in to pay tribute to the R&B vocal legend Luther Vandross.
A star-packed collaboration, worthy only of the greatest.
This new loving tribute features performances by Patti Austin,Gerald Albright, Jonathan Butler, Norman Brown, Will Downing, Everette Harp, Jeff Lorber, Maysa, Najee, Wayman Tisdale, Kevin Whalum and Kirk Whalum.

Tracklistings in comments sections.