The death of Donny Hathaway is as tragic and frustrating as any in popular music history. On January 13, 1979, Hathaway succumbed to severe depression and apparently threw himself from a 15th floor window of New York City’s Essex House. Time also hasn’t been overly kind to Hathaway’s legacy, as people tend to forget about his work with Curtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin, and some only remember him for the 1970 soul power anthem “The Ghetto.” Hopefully These Songs For You, Live! may change that.

Rhino Records has re-issued a seamless live album combining songs recorded at LA’s Troubadour & NYC’s The Bitter End in 1971, and from a superb show at Carnegie Hall in 1973. A few tracks were originally included on the now scarce 1972 LP Donny Hathaway Live and 1980’s posthumously released In Performance. The sound quality is quite clear and only eclipsed by Hathaway’s rich vocals and wonderful piano playing, but it also displays the special cohesion of a talented band – Willie Weeks (bass), Fred White (drums), Earl DeRouen (congas), Richard Tee (organ) and guitarists Phil Upchurch, Mike Howard, and Cornell Dupree.

The first four numbers alone, “Flying Easy,” “Valdez In The Country,” “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” and Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” brilliantly provide a smooth groove mix of jazz and soul reminiscent of classic work by George Benson and Marvin Gaye. “Little Ghetto Boy” is just a delicious little slice of 70’s soul pie.

The only hesitation is the abundance of cover songs (Stevie Wonder’s “Superwoman,” The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” and Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On, etc.), but the renditions are all spiritually refreshing. And yes, the thirteen-minute version of “The Ghetto” still gets toes tapping and fingers snapping.

These Songs For You is a “glue album” to hold your Soul collection together. If the hair on your arms doesn’t stand up when listening to this eerily beautiful recording, you really need to have your heart checked.