MALALA

Description

Few artists record two highly sought-after self-titled albums a decade apart. But singer-songwriter Leon Ware achieved this improbable feat, first with his debut solo album on United Artists in 1972, and then with this one, released on Elektra in 1982. What he did in between was almost equally remarkable, writing and producing material for Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Minnie Riperton, and Marvin Gaye, for whom he directed the classic I Want You. Thus, the pressure was on for Ware's 1982 release, which showcased Ware's powerful falsetto (which some compared to Gaye's) over arrangements by the legendary Marty Paich, with fiery contributions from saxophonist Gato Barbieri and singer Flora Purim (duetting with Ware on the classic "Somewhere"). As is often the case with cult classics, Leon Ware did not sell well initially, and in fact, he was dropped by Elektra; but it became a key R&B release of the early '80s, with "Why I Came to California" being a particularly recent favorite.